Changing the Blueprints of Life – Genetic Engineering: Crash Course Engineering #38

Can we change the blueprints of life? This week we are exploring that question with genetic engineering. We’ll discuss how selective breeding can improve agricultural practices, and the potential DNA-level engineering could have on other fields of engineering. We’ll also look at how optogenetics and CRISPR have opened up new ways for genetic engineers to change the DNA inside living cells.

Crash Course Engineering is produced in association with PBS Digital Studios.

RESOURCES:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-macaray/the-man-who-saved-a-billi_b_4099523.html?guccounter=1 http://wheatdoctor.org/lodging https://diatoms.org/what-are-diatoms https://www.researchgate.net/publication/49698386_From_diatoms_to_silica-based_biohybrids https://www.pnnl.gov/news/release.aspx?id=918 https://www.vox.com/2018/7/23/17594864/crispr-cas9-gene-editing