Perspective | Open Access

Volume 2020 |Article ID 9429650 | https://doi.org/10.34133/2020/9429650

Advancing How We Learn from Biodesign to Mitigate Risks with Next-Generation Genome Engineering

Paul E. Abraham iD ,¹ Jessy L. LabbéiD ,² and Amber A. McBride²

¹Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
²Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA

Abstract

In the last decade, the unprecedented simplicity and flexibility of the CRISPR-Cas system has made it the dominant transformative tool in gene and genome editing. However, this democratized technology is both a boon and a bane, for which we have yet to understand the full potential to investigate and rewrite genomes (also named “genome biodesign”). Rapid CRISPR advances in a range of applications in basic research, agriculture, and clinical applications pose new risks and raise several biosecurity concerns. In such a fast-moving field of research, we emphasize the importance of properly communicating the quality and accuracy of results and recommend new reporting requirements for results derived from next-generation genome engineering.