{"id":373,"date":"2016-12-05T23:51:04","date_gmt":"2016-12-05T23:51:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/reech\/?p=373"},"modified":"2016-12-18T18:16:03","modified_gmt":"2016-12-18T18:16:03","slug":"engage-christmas-lecture-genomics-the-moral-maze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/generic.wordpress.soton.ac.uk\/reech\/2016\/12\/05\/engage-christmas-lecture-genomics-the-moral-maze\/","title":{"rendered":"DECEMBER 5: ENGAGE Christmas Lecture – Genomics: The Moral Maze"},"content":{"rendered":"

5th December – day<\/span> 5\"royal-institution-christmas-lectures\"<\/span><\/h2>\n

It is now over a decade since the human genome was first sequenced and recent developments have further revolutionised our ability to edit our genomes, with a wide-range of potential medical applications. There is no question that this has sparked huge advances in medicine and research, but it\u2019s also one of the most morally contentious topics of our generation.<\/p>\n

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What does it mean to be a healthy human person? Indeed, what is a normal human? Are risk factors the only reason to be cautious about this technology? The immediate medical applications would be to prevent genetic disorders by removing or replacing a disease-causing gene in an early embryo. But which genes should be modified? Those that are life-threatening, or life changing? What about \u2018faulty\u2019 genes that only produce their effects in later life? What are the boundaries between normal variation and disability?<\/div>\n
So many questions, but is there an answer? Buy a ticket for our Christmas Lecture to hear Keith Fox<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, \"k_fox_copy\"Professor of Biochemistry in the Centre for Biological Science at Southampton University and Associate Director of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion, explore this fascinating moral maze.<\/div>\n