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Description
Kimberlin Gomez, CWP 102: Argumentation and Research
Faculty Mentors: Professor Jane E. Sullivan, College Writing Program and Professor Susan Mary Paige, Academic Success Program
Genetic modification or “gene editing” is the manipulation of genomes with the use of molecular engineering techniques. The two types of genetic modifications are somatic and germline, which are very different from one another. With this process, the unborn child's parents and doctors can decide traits such as eye color, hair color, skin color, etc. This process is likely to become very popular because parents are being given the chance to create the perfect baby, the baby of their dreams. This process is also risky, as there are not too many cases of this process and its long-term effects, if any. There is the possibility that it could have detrimental effects on the embryo, including, but not limited to, deformities such as extra fingers, blindness, and vitiligo. This is assuming that the mother is even able to carry the fetus to term. The issues also debate the ethics of the doctor versus abuse of medical technology. It sparks the debate: is one reason for genetic modification of a human being more ethical than another? It may seem more ethical to modify the genetic information of an embryo to try to save the life of another child, but does it seem ethical to modify the genetic information just for the fun of it? With prior IRB approval, we collected data by replicating a study done by Dr. Bob Edwards, et al., substituting their participants with a sample group of convenience made up of first=year college students from an urban four-year public college. We find that our sample participants considered the idea of designing babies to be ethically unjust.
Publication Date
2020
Disciplines
Arts and Humanities
Recommended Citation
Gomez, Kimberlin, "The Future of Designing Babies" (2020). Communication and Humanities. 22nd Annual Student Research and Creativity Conference. SUNY Buffalo State.
https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/srcc-sp20-commhum/6
