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81 " Mice were often the first test subjects for these techniques, and scientists were amazed at how effective the new methods were in the tiny creatures. By injecting new DNA into fertilized mouse eggs and then implanting those eggs into female mice, researchers found they could permanently splice the foreign DNA into the next generation and cause observable changes in the developing animals. These advances meant that any gene that scientists could isolate and clone in the lab could be tested and investigated; by adding the gene to cells, scientists could observe its effects and better understand the gene’s function "
― Jennifer A. Doudna , A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution
82 " society cannot make decisions about technologies it doesn’t understand, and certainly not about those it knows nothing about. "
83 " Addgene is like Netflix, only for plasmids. "
84 " plasmid. By easing the burden on plasmid producers and satisfying requests from plasmid consumers, Addgene has helped to ensure that any academic or nonprofit lab in the world can obtain research materials, including those needed to employ the CRISPR technology, for its particular experimental needs. "
85 " In this particular dream, a colleague approached me and asked if I would be willing to teach somebody how the gene-editing technology worked. I followed my colleague into a room to meet this person and was shocked to see Adolf Hitler, in the flesh, seated in front of me. He had a pig face (perhaps because I had spent so much time thinking about the humanized pig genome that was being rewritten with CRISPR around this time), and he was meticulously prepared for our meeting with pen and paper, ready to take notes. Fixing his eyes on me with keen interest, he said, “I want to understand the uses and implications of this amazing technology you’ve developed. "
86 " In 2015 alone, Addgene shipped some sixty thousand CRISPR-related plasmids to researchers in over eighty different countries. "
87 " Weighing the dangers inherent in a technology like CRISPR against the responsibility to use its power for the benefit of humanity and our planet will be a test like no other. Yet it’s one that we must pass. "
88 " higher-fidelity versions of CRISPR that are less prone to off-target gene editing than the version nature evolved on its own. "
89 " In a short time, we had constructed and validated a new technology that, based on the body of research conducted with ZFN and TALEN proteins, would be capable of editing the genome—any genome, not just one belonging to a bacterial virus. Out of this fifth bacterial weapons system, we had built the means to rewrite the code of life. "
90 " In 2015, 92 percent of all corn, 94 percent of all cotton, and 94 percent of all soybeans grown in the United States were genetically engineered in this way. The altered crops offer considerable environmental and economic advantages. By planting crops that have enhanced abilities to protect themselves against pests, farmers can attain higher yields while reducing their reliance on harsh chemical pesticides and herbicides. "
91 " Even gene variants implicated in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s may have benefits, such as improved cognitive function and better episodic and working memory in young adults. "