Emmanuelle Charpentier honoured with Nobel Prize in Chemistry

We would like to congratulate Emmanuelle Charpentier for receving the Nobel Prize in chemistry. Emmanuelle is known for her groundbreaking work on the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology. In our documentary Backlight: Coding Life she talks about the famous CRISPR technique. Welcome in the world of the new nature. With the new CRISPR-technology we can now literally copy and paste DNA. A revolutionary development is happening which will have tremendous consequences for humans, plants and animals. The new phase of biotechnology has arrived.

‘Bio is the New Digital’. We are capable of precisely reprogramming the genetic code of our body’s cells, embryos, bacteria, viruses and plants. With the CRISPR-technology we can alter the characteristics of every organism to our own design. In doing so we will be able to eradicate diseases, improve the condition of our bodies and alter plants to meet the specific needs of our food consumption. What makes the CRISPR-technology so special is that it is relatively simple. During the past year the number of experiments and applications has exploded. People all around the world are now tinkering with the CRISPR technology: experimenting at home with ‘Do it Yourself CRISPR-kits’. Scientists are therefore calling for new ethical guidelines now that the demand for so called designer babies is on the rise. Although it is not yet possible, we will soon be able to put an end to hereditary diseases. Perhaps we can also create bacteria that can eat oil or plastic, pigs or bring extinct species of animals back to life. It all sounds like science fiction but it is closer than ever before.

Please take a look at Backlight: Coding Life