Yahoo Autos Wait, Gene Editing Is a Weapon of Mass Destruction?
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper released the annual Worldwide Threat Assessment yesterday, and "Genome Editing" is included in a section on weapons of mass destruction-the same part that talks about the nuclear capabilities of North Korea and chemical weapons in Syria and Iraq. The entry on genome editing reads:
Research in genome editing conducted by countries with different regulatory or ethical standards than those of Western countries probably increases the risk of the creation of potentially harmful biological agents or products. Given the broad distribution, low cost, and accelerated pace of development of this dual-use technology, its deliberate or unintentional misuse might lead to far-reaching economic and national security implications.
