Council response to International Summit on Human Gene Editing Statement

The organising committee of the International Summit on Human Gene Editing has published a statement at the conclusion of its proceedings. The statement raises the importance of giving a wide range of people opportunities to contribute to this ongoing discussion and to policy formulation on gene editing.

Responding to the statement, Hugh Whittall, Director of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, said:

A full and thorough examination of the ethical issues raised by the possible use of these technologies across many areas of science will be a vital part of these discussions. The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has recently published an open call for evidence, seeking information and opinions, not only on human germ line modification, but on other areas of research which may be more advanced. These include areas such as novel plant breeding, ecological engineering using modified bacteria and viruses, and animal applications - all of which could have significant impacts for example on food production, disease control and the environment.

The call for evidence is open to everyone and closes on 1 February 2016: www.nuffieldbioethics.org/genome-evidence