Speaking to a Senate committee, US director of national intelligence, James Clapper has described gene editing as a potential "weapon of mass destruction and proliferation" reflecting the US government's concerns that its accessibility and low price may put the technique that is revolutionising biotechnology into the wrong hands. The technology could be used for genetic modification in crops or even human body parts, he said. The report noted that new discoveries “move easily in the globalized economy, as do personnel with the scientific expertise to design and use them.” Scientists have previously warned about the potential for 'killer mosquitoes', or the modification of diseases to make them more potent, as a risk of gene editing.
Speaking to a Senate committee, US director of national intelligence, James Clapper has described gene editing as a potential "weapon of mass destruction and proliferation" reflecting the US government's concerns that its accessibility and low price may put the technique that is revolutionising biotechnology into the wrong hands. The technology could be used for genetic modification in crops or even human body parts, he said. Scientists have previously warned about the potential for 'killer mosquitoes', or the modification of diseases to make them more potent, as a risk of gene editing.