Gene Editing: Can CRISPR Change the World?

🗓 Date: Sun, Mar 23rd
🕖 Time: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
📍 Location: Sana’s Cafe (199 New Montgomery St)
👤 Hosted by: Sergii (+1.650.441.8679)

Join The Economist Club of San Francisco for a thought-provoking discussion on CRISPR gene-editing technology—a groundbreaking scientific advancement with the potential to transform medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. But as this technology progresses, it raises profound ethical, regulatory, and economic questions.

We will explore:
🔬 How CRISPR is being used to cure genetic diseases, enhance medicine, and modify human DNA.
🌾 The impact of gene editing on farming, food security, and climate change resilience.
⚖️ Ethical dilemmas around genetic modification, designer babies, and gene-editing boundaries.
💰 The economic and investment landscape for CRISPR-driven innovations.
🛑 The regulatory challenges and how different countries are approaching gene-editing policies.

📖 Suggested Reading:
To enrich the discussion, attendees are encouraged to read The Economist articles:
🔗 "CRISPR Technologies Hold Enormous Promise for Farming and Medicine"
👉 https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/02/26/crispr-technologies-hold-enormous-promise-for-farming-and-medicine
🔗 "Can Gene Editing Deliver on Its Promise?"
👉 https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2025-03-01

💬 Format:
🔹 Part 1: Silent Reading (30 min) – Time to review key points from the article.
🔹 Part 2: Discussion (Small Groups, ~4 people each) – A deep dive into the scientific, ethical, and economic implications of CRISPR. We will not have a speaker for this event, so self-preparation is key for a high-quality discussion.

🎟 Attendance is free, but we kindly ask participants to support our host venue by purchasing a beverage or meal.

Whether you're passionate about biotechnology, ethics, medicine, or the future of food, we welcome you to an engaging and insightful evening of discussion.

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The Economist Club of San Francisco is a platform for lifelong learning and a community of intellectually curious people. Our events are organized by dedicated volunteers who strive to create an environment of intellectual engagement and exploration. We are not affiliated with The Economist. Participants are not required to be magazine subscribers; articles can be accessed for free after registering an account.