Career Connections at SAVY 2019: Session 3, Day 1 – Science and Ethics of Gene Editing (Rising 7th)

Posted by hallep on Monday, July 22, 2019 in Grade 7, SAVY.

Today we learned about molecular biology, the Central Dogma, and different methods of genome editing. Most importantly, we learned about CRISPR-Cas9, which is the most widely used method of genome editing in science. We began the process of modifying non-pathogenic E. coli bacteria to be resistant to a specific antibiotic. Will we be able to successfully edit the genome of these bacteria? We’ll check back in tomorrow to assess this! We also started discussing our final project. Throughout the week, we’re going to be doing research on the pros and cons of genome editing in plants, animals, and humans. On Friday, we’re going to have a class-wide debate to discuss these topics. This is a way for us to develop skills in communication science to other scientists as well as those who might not know as much as we do.

Parents- here are some great questions you can ask your young scientist over dinner:

– What is the Central Dogma?

– What are the components to a CRISPR gene editing experiment?

– What are the similarities and differences between plant and animal cells?

– What are some similarities and differences between DNA and RNA? What do those acronyms stand for?