Webinar: Genomic politics and the future of gene editing

Misinformation Research Webinar with Dr. Eben Kirksey: Genomic Politics and Future of Gene Editing

Genomic research is an important consideration in the contemporary thinking of agricultural development. However, it often misses an opportunity to engage with politics and related (mis) perceptions about technologies and their socio-political consequences. Our next Misinformation Research Platform Webinar will focus on genomic politics and the future of gene editing.

About the Panelist: Dr. Eben Kirksey is an American anthropologist and storyteller who focuses on issues of science and social justice. Dr. Kirksey is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Oxford, where he teaches Medical Anthropology and Human Ecology. He is the author of The Mutant Project, Emergent Ecologies, and Freedom in Entangled Worlds.

About the topic:  Genome reading and editing are exponentially advancing technologies, putting tools such as next-generation sequencing and CRISPR at the forefront of medical research and practice. The world was stunned in November of 2018. He Jiankui, a scientist from Shenzhen, China, announced the birth of twins Lulu and Nana — the first children to be born from a genetically-edited embryo. Jiankui had kept his work secret from the international scientific community, which sparked outrage in a community built on collaboration and transparency. He Jiankui was sentenced to prison for violating medical ethics. Jiankui was released from a Chinese prison in 2022 after three years. After relocating to Beijing, Jiankui is now seeking Chinese government funding for a DNA synthesizer. Since then, the outcry over Jiankui’s secrecy has largely been forgotten — along with the greater concerns about gene editing. Despite the recent lack of attention, the conflicting promises and ethical challenges of gene editing are ever more relevant. Genome editing offers both breathtaking possibilities and terrifying risks, making discussion of genomic politics and its social justice implications critical. 

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