Grad student who studies DNA here: CRISPR is just a cool pair of scissors. What makes it cool is its flexibility. Different target? Pick a different guide RNA.

Grad student who studies DNA here: CRISPR is just a cool pair of scissors. What makes it cool is its flexibility. Different target? Pick a different guide RNA. But think about it. Many of the challenges of using that pair of scissors still exist. How do we get the scissors to the target? How do we repair the target after the cut? How often do the scissors work? Can the scissors cut exactly where we want them too (is there a PAM site nearby)? Of course, scientists know all these challenges, and they're clever. I would take a peek at this CRISPR guide (https://www.addgene.org/crispr/guide/)if https://www.addgene.org/crispr/guide/)if you want to know how people actually use it. Another thing that I'm thinking about: DNA is more than a 1D string of code. It is a semiflexible polymer wrapped around proteins, constantly changing in space and time. It bends, folds, and interacts with itself. Every cell does this organization differently. And I haven't even mentioned epigenetics. I'm not morally opposed to gene editing in the future. But I'm not so sure we're there yet. Then again, if I were blind, and CRISPR promised a cure...