Advanced Cell Biology

Topic: Genome Editing

Aim: To demonstrate an ability to explain scientific research to a non-specialist audience. This is a key skill for all scientists and helps clarify our thinking about what is most important about a particular piece of work. Most funding applications for research require a lay summary, and this is considered an essential part of public engagement and scientific accountability. Similarly, many jobs in science involve communication of complex data to non-specialist audiences such as the general public, shareholders, or politicians.

For a wider context, see also: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00580-w

The Task: Write a lay summary of not more than 250 words explaining the research described in the technical abstract below from a controversial scientific paper about genome editing in human embryos. Use the example from class to guide you in structuring the summary. You will be introduced to the scientific concepts described in the abstract in the Genome Editing lectures on the ACB course.