Biological materials such as tooth enamel and seashell gain their strength from a unique internal structure, where rigid “building blocks” are arranged in an interlocking formation. This means that no block can move without disturbing its neighbors. The combination of this interlocking with weak interfaces between the building blocks leads to unique properties that typical […]
Are we protecting nature when we genetically modify endangered species to protect them from extinction? For example, should we make endangered ferrets in America resistant to a disease imported by humans in the name of nature conservation? In this case, genetic engineering contributes to the preservation of natural species richness. But on the other hand, […]
In 2020, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna were awarded the Nobel Prize for the development of a new technology for genome editing, CRISPR-Cas9. Before being a technological tool, CRISPR-Cas is an immune system used by bacteria to protect themselves against virus epidemics. The discovery of the CRISPR-Cas function was made by researchers trying to protect […]
