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Neil and Sophie talk about the hopes and risks of gene editing. Is it going to cure diseases? Or be used to create designer babies? And Neil wonders how many errors he might have in his genetic code.

This week's question

Which science fiction film anticipates gene editing in a dystopian society where humans are genetically engineered? Is it…

a) Robocop

b) Gattaca

c) Blade Runner

You can hear the right answer at the end of the programme.

Vocabulary

gene editing
the ability to modify DNA

manipulate
modify or control

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
a substance in the cells of animals and plants that contains genetic information

gene
a part of the DNA in a cell that controls the growth and behaviour of a living thing and is passed on from its parents

dystopian
an imaginary society where people are unhappy and afraid

scanning
searching carefully

snip
cut

faulty
not working properly

catch
problem, often a hidden problem

embryo
an animal developing in its mother's womb

designer babies
babies whose genes have been selected to have certain desirable characteristics

open the door
make possible

enhanced
improved

discrimination
treating some people less fairly than others

Transcript

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Sophie
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Sophie…

Neil
And I'm Neil. I was watching the news the other day, Sophie.

Sophie
Learn anything interesting?

Neil
Yes, actually. UK scientists have been authorised by the government to genetically modify human embryos for research. What they can't do though is implant modified embryos into women. They talked a lot about gene editing...

Sophie
Can you explain to us what gene editing is?

Neil
Mmm… I think this means there are these letters in a code – A-B-C something… I can't remember exactly…

Sophie
Gene editing is the ability to manipulate – or control – DNA. And in case you didn't know, DNA is short for deoxyribonucleic acid – this is a substance in the cells of animals and plants that contains genetic information. And a gene is part of the DNA in the cell that controls the physical development and behaviour of a plant or animal and is passed on from its parents.

Neil
Phew! Thanks for the science lesson, Sophie.

Sophie
You're welcome. Now here's a question for you, Neil: Which science fiction film anticipates gene editing in a dystopian society where humans are genetically engineered? Is it…
a) Robocop
b) Gattaca
or c) Blade Runner

Neil
Mmm… I don't really understand the question but I'm going to say c) Blade Runner. What's dystopian?

Sophie
Dystopian means an imaginary society where people are unhappy and afraid. Well, moving on, let's listen to BBC journalist Fergus Walsh talking about how gene editing works.

INSERT
Fergus Walsh, BBC journalist
Think of gene editing as a molecular sat nav. It scans the DNA searching for the error. Then it uses molecular scissors to snip through both strands, which switches off the faulty gene. Or it can repair the code by inserting a healthy copy of the gene. These techniques raise the prospect of treating – even curing – some genetic diseases – and it's not science fiction.

Sophie
So DNA is a set of instructions for how our bodies work written using a chemical code of four letters – A, T, C, G. But sometimes the code contains mistakes.

Neil
Yes. You find spelling mistakes by scanning – or searching – through the DNA. Then you snip – or cut out – the mistake or faulty gene from the code using molecular scissors. Faulty by the way, means something that isn't working properly – like the faulty brakes on my bike.

Sophie
That sounds really dangerous, Neil!

Neil
Yeah, but I'm more worried about my faulty genes. I might have all sorts of genetic mistakes inside me.

Sophie
That wouldn't surprise me. But you've actually touched on a serious point. Latest research suggests all our bodies do contain genetic mistakes, some of which could cause disease. And as reporter Fergus Walsh said at the end of the clip, gene editing could be important for treating or even curing inherited genetic diseases. For patients with blood, immune, muscle or skin disorders it offers the possibility that their faulty cells could be removed, or changed in the lab, and then put back.

Neil
That sounds amazing. But is there a catch?

Sophie
And that means a problem or drawback. Yes. Some people think that if editing the genes of a human embryo is allowed for curing disease, this will lead to editing the genes of embryos for reasons other than health. Let's listen to Marcy Darnovsky, executive director of the Centre for Genetics and Society in California talking about her concerns.

INSERT
Marcy Darnovsky, Centre for Genetics and Society
It's too risky, we don't need it, there are other ways to have healthy children, and it would open the door – possibly – to a world of genetic haves and have nots. We don't need more inequality, we don't need more discrimination in the world.

Neil
An embryo by the way is an animal or human starting to develop inside its mother. Marcy Darnovsky is against gene editing because it may be used to create designer babies – or babies whose genes have been selected to have certain desirable characteristics.

Sophie
She says it may open the door – or make it possible – a situation where embryos are genetically enhanced – or improved – to be more intelligent or physically stronger, for example.

Neil
And this will lead to more discrimination in the world – which means treating some people less fairly than others…

Sophie
…which is something that science fiction has been predicting for many years. It's that dystopian society we were discussing earlier, Neil! Which science fiction film anticipates gene editing in a dystopian society where humans are genetically engineered? Is it… a) Robocop b) Gattaca or c) Blade Runner?

Neil
And I said c) Blade Runner.

Sophie
Sorry, Neil! It was b) Gattaca. This 1997 sci-fi film centres on the character Vincent Freeman, who wasn't genetically engineered, but is able to buy the genetic identity of another man in order to pursue his dream of travelling into space. The film's title uses the letters G, A, T and C, which are the four chemical codes making up DNA.
Now here are today's words:
gene editing
manipulate
DNA
gene
dystopian
scanning
snip
faulty
catch
embryo
designer babies
open the door
enhanced
discrimination

Neil
Well, that's the end of today's 6 Minute English. Please do join us again soon!

Both
Bye.