The Ethics of Human Germline Gene Editing

Holly Timmerman

This poster presentation explores the ethics of human germline gene editing and aims to answer the question: under what conditions is human germline gene editing a permissible treatment? Human germline gene editing is limited in its research because of the ethical and safety controversies that surround it. There are many ethical aspects of this procedure to consider, such as the elimination/reduction of genetic disease, the autonomy of the embryos, and the effects it has on the healthcare system, to name a few. This presentation provides some of the significant advantages and disadvantages of human germline gene editing, a breakdown of the ethical methodology we used to discuss the ethics of germline gene editing and gives some possible solutions to how this can be an ethically permissible treatment.

• Holly Timmerman is a senior pre-med biology major with a minor in philosophy and chemistry. She is a peer tutor on campus, the president of the Pre-Health Club, and vice president of the Tri-Beta biology honors society at Lander. She plans to attend medical school in the fall.