A conversation between Marc Güell and Gemma Marfany about de-extinction, biotechnology, and our relationship with the past. Moderated by Alex Richter-Boix, CEAB-CSIC’s researcher.
The de-extinction of species is no longer just the stuff of science fiction. Colossal Biosciences has created pups of a dire wolf species extinct more than 10,000 years ago using gene editing techniques and ancient DNA. This raises profound questions: are they truly the extinct species or modern hybrids? What is the point of reviving extinct species while we lose hundreds each year? What social, economic, and ecological risks and possibilities does this entail?
This talk will discuss genetics, evolutionary biology, the philosophy of science, and ecology to explore the limits of life, the power of biotechnology, and the human fascination with the return of the past.
Marc Güell is a biologist and genetic engineer, an expert in genome editing and synthetic biology. Researcher in the Translational Genetic Engineering Research Group at Pompeu Fabra University. He has worked with CRISPR techniques and projects for biomedical and bioengineering purposes. He is familiar with the potential and limits of genetic rewriting. Gemma Marfany is a professor of Genetics at the University of Barcelona. She is a principal investigator in the Human Molecular Genetics group. She specializes in gene editing and the diagnosis of hereditary diseases, especially those affecting vision. She is a member of the Bioethics and Law Observatory and the Bioethics Commission of the UB.
The event can also be followed live on YouTube.
Collaborator: Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation
