‘Human Nature’ offers CRISPR novices a basic introduction
Humans have been tinkering with the genes of plants and animals through selective breeding for millennia. But the ability to change our own DNA is something very new. The gene-editing tool CRISPR offers the promise of correcting genetic typos that cause a range of diseases. The documentary Human Nature — which opened in select U.S. cities on March 13, with more to follow — introduces viewers to the technology. Graphics, archival footage and beautiful imagery help explain how scientists took a DNA-cutting enzyme and its guide molecule, which form the basis of bacterial immune systems, and transformed them into CRISPR/Cas9, often just called CRISPR. Pioneers of the technology, including Jennifer Doudna, Feng Zhang, George Church and Emmanuelle Charpentier, recount serendipitous discoveries and hard-won insights in the tale of CRISPR’s development over several decades. Human Nature Opens in limited U.S. release on March 13Wonder Collaborative At the heart of the film is an ethical...