Research and develop gene editing technology with US soldiers

DARPA director Steven Walker revealed that military missions would be a bit more advanced if researchers could successfully modify and control the soldier's genome for the purpose of protecting them.

"Why does DARPA do this? Protecting a soldier on the battlefield from chemical weapons and biological weapons by controlling their genomes capable of producing proteins will automatically protect soldiers from the inside out?" apart, " Walker explained.

The Advanced Defense Projects Research Agency is planning to study gene editing technology that will be applied to US soldiers in the future.

The DARPA director acknowledged that this idea could generate a lot of opinion, but emphasized that the agency's gene editing is primarily focused on protecting their members instead of trying to improve them, at least especially in the early stages.

"All of these technologies, you can use them for good purposes and you can use them for evil purposes. DARPA talks about using them for the purpose of protecting our warriors ," according to a US Department of Defense notice.

If the research results, DARPA also believes that owning the ability to modify the genome of soldiers will prove helpful in providing the US military with an alternative to vaccines.

The removal of genes designed or overcoming genetic defects will be essential for the protection measures to be useful. DARPA's program will be tasked with the major goal of reversing the effects of gene-editing technology that was at the center of a controversy in China after a scientist changed two embryos. ejaculating sperm from a HIV-positive donor and transplanting it to a HIV-negative mother last year, is intended to give children the ability to fight congenital HIV.

1. Learn about CRISPR - The gene editing technology that China has just surpassed the United States
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