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Microchip, macro revolution
In the history of technology, some moments clearly mark a before and after. The invention of the microprocessor in the early 1970s…
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Tuesday, 1 July 2025
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Genetics: a stroke of genius!
The discovery of DNA - that double-helix molecule containing the code for life -revolutionized our understanding of living organisms. It paved the way for genetic engineering, a field that enables us to act directly on that code. A major breakthrough that redefines our relationship with life and pushes the boundaries of what’s possible.
A historic breakthrough
In 1953, American geneticist James Watson and British physicist Francis Crick, building on the work of molecular biologist Rosalind Franklin, revealed the structure of DNA. This discovery - for which they received the Nobel Prize in 1962 - marked the beginning of genetic engineering: a set of techniques to modify the genes of living organisms.
In the 1970s and 1980s, scientists developed the first genetic manipulations using enzymes capable of cutting and recombining DNA. By the late 1990s, programmable nucleases emerged - molecular “scissors” that could target specific DNA sequences with great precision.
A decisive turning point came in 2012 with CRISPR-Cas9. This revolutionary technique made genome editing more precise, faster, simpler, and more accessible, opening a new chapter in genetic engineering.
New frontiers of life
Genome editing opens up dizzying possibilities. In medicine, it enables the development of personalized therapies tailored to each individual’s genetic profile. Diseases like sickle cell anemia or certain types of blindness are now being experimentally treated with CRISPR.
In agriculture, it enables the creation of plants that are resistant to disease, pests, or climate extremes. These innovations are reshaping our food production methods and even the very definition of natural selection.
It also opens the doors to environmental protection innovations, including bioremediation. Genetically modified microorganisms are now being designed to break down toxic pollutants.
Between hope and concern
These advances raise ethical questions. Modifying the human genome, especially at the embryonic stage, challenges our core ideas about life. How far can we go? Where’s the line between “repairing” and “enhancing” the human being? Between care and eugenics?
Bioethics, which emerged in the 1960s, seeks to regulate such practices by integrating ethical reflection into biomedical research.
Finding the right balance between potential benefits (such as eradicating diseases) and the risks of abuse (commodification of life, designer babies, loss of biodiversity) is a complex challenge - especially since laws often struggle to keep pace with scientific advances.
This is more than a scientific issue - it’s a societal one. A democratic debate is essential to reconcile progress, ethics, and human dignity.
Between promises and ethical dilemmas, genetic engineering is reshaping our relationship with life.
