Why genetic engineering will inevitably be part of our future...

If you're from my generation -and older- chances are that you are at least skeptical about intervening in human genetic material in order to enhance or correct certain parts of it ('genetic engineering'). The idea might sound arrogant (are we playing god?) or dangerous (where will this end?) if not ethically insane (are we still humans when we modify our genes?).

In the latest Futurist magazine, professor Jeffrey Coker goes at great length explaining how genetic engineering could contribute to a better world, or why at least it's not as bad as it seems. He does make some points:

• as it turns out, our genes are already being modified constantly by viruses and bacteria... much of our DNA is already not 'human' by nature;
• genetically modified crops would require less pesticides and chemicals, hence turning into a solution to pollution of all kind;
• by making it feasible to grow -for instance- rice in salt water (sea), or make it more resistant to drought or long periods of flood (both consequences of global warming) we might solve famine in some areas of the world;
• genetic engineering holds promises of more efficient treatments of diseases like cancer and HIV, in a more 'natural' way since it wouldn't need chemicals to do so;
• in an extreme world, we might 'grow' meat instead of depending on -polluting and voracious- animals for it, and even enhance many of our human functions (anyone want to be able to see in the dark?).

According to Jeffrey, these all belong to the scientific realities, and because of that they will get adopted. This is not demagogy: if one country starts to use genetic engineering to its advantages, governments in other countries will need to follow due to its competitive pressure, regardless of the reserves they might have towards this science.

So, all is not bad with genetic engineering, but all is not rosy neither... The biggest negative aspect about it is the fact that this science -and its applications- can quickly become the monopoly of a few big corporations. This is scary, of course, since it can easily lead to vast mismanagement, price agreements, locking poor farmers to one suppliers, etc. This could be overcome, argues Jeffrey, if governments get a looser approach to genetic engineering, so that it becomes easier for smaller players to obtain patents and offer genetic engineering solutions. The competitive forces will then ensure a fair market (not at all a convincing argument as this deregulation is what happened to the financial markets last couple of decades, with all the consequences we now endure).

Sure, genetic engineering will not be the solution for all of the challenges we face in the future, it will still need to be combined with more sustainable practices. Jeffrey convinced me of that, at least, but I'd rather have some form of control over it rather than leave it to the 'market dynamism' to develop in the future...

But then, I'm so GenX... ;-)

(the video beneath is a nice short introduction to the field of genetic engineering:)