Homo sapiens  have been altering their environment deliberately to address a wide range of needs and unintentionally through various activities for millennia – and likely will continue to do so. However, changes that are acceptable to  some may appear unacceptable to others for very different reasons. What  are the ethical concerns at play in these disagreements? This panel discussion series will explore and juxtapose various ethics perspectives and their relation to the emerging gene editing technologies collectively known as gene drive.

On the second Tuesday of each month for five months starting in July 2021, a moderator and panelists will meet for 2 hours starting at 10 am US east coast time to describe their position on the question, conduct a moderated discussion, and entertain questions from participants.

Each panel discussion is recorded and made publicly available. Recorded sessions for this series may be viewed on the GeneConvene YouTube channel.

Sessions include:

July 13, 2021 — Is there a moral difference between the natural and the synthetic?

August 10, 2021 — Do justice and equity concerns bolster or hinder the case for the use of gene drive applications?

September 14, 2021 — Who owes what to whom: What is the nature and scope of responsibilities of the various actors?

October 12, 2021 — From principles to principled action: What ethical principles ought to govern gene drive research?

November 9, 2021 — Does gene drive technology raise exceptional ethical issues?

For more information and to register, go to the event page.