Max A. Hunter teaches American bioethics, medical anthropology, and diversity in education at Seattle Pacific University, where he directs the pre-professional health program and the bioethics and humanities minor.

Then & Now

Gene editing, race, and the social contract

Imagine Jennifer Doudna working in the lab overnight, her eyes sore, her head pulsing, and her mind swirling with an existential crisis. Utilizing a bacterial cell’s self-defense mechanism, the geneticist has mastered the ability to reproduce and guide gene-editing technology, otherwise known as CRISPR-Cas9. This technology could save countless lives, cure genetic diseases, and reverse the effects of cancer. But it could also advance efforts at human enhancement, leading to a revival of modern eugenics. In December, the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine held a three-day summit on CRISPR technology.
by Max A. Hunter and Dylan P. Marashi
June 14, 2016