Speaking to a Senate committee , US secretary of national security , James Clapper has described gene editing as a potential " weapon of mass destruction and proliferation " reflecting the US government 's concerns that its simplicity and low price may put the technique that is revolutionising biotechnology into the wrong hands . Given that the basic ingredients for DNA - based gene editing can be easily handled and purchased online for less than $ 1 , this fear does n't seem so far fetched . 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. Given that the basic ingredients for CRISPR-based gene editing can be easily handled and purchased online for less than $100, this fear doesn't seem so far fetched. 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.