Yaeger, Brianna2018-04-052018-04-052018Yaeger, Brianna. “When Innovation Exceeds Technological Capacity: A Moral Evaluation of CRISPR/Cas9’s Role in Genetic Engineering Research.” Royal Road, 2018. https://doi.org/10.48497/44BY-QC39.http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11868/407Recommended Citation: Yaeger, Brianna. “When Innovation Exceeds Technological Capacity: A Moral Evaluation of CRISPR/Cas9’s Role in Genetic Engineering Research.” Royal Road, 2018. https://doi.org/10.48497/44BY-QC39.The Human Genome Project (HGP) in 2003 showcased the vast influence the field of genetics exerts on biomedical innovation The National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Human Genome Research Institute called the HGP “one of the greatest feats” and praised it for giving researchers “the ability, for the first time, to read nature's complete genetic blueprint for building a human being” within the public domain (“All About the HGP”). This successful sequencing provided biomedical researchers with a necessary precursor for uncovering the particular genes—and the genetic mutations—that directly correlate with chronic and/ or fatal diseases (Venter et al. 2003). In fact, many of the novel methods inspired by the genomic revolution—such as genetic testing—are now essential to the field of medicine. For example, the discovery of breast cancer-related genes and subsequent use of genetic testing kits led to incredible advances in breast cancer diagnosis and prevention (Heemskerk-Gerritsen et al. 668-677).Today, internationally accredited biomedical research scientists and microbiologists explore unprecedented, genomic manipulations of human cells on a continuous basis. Although the ability to alter human genomic DNA offers alluring potential in the biomedical field, researchers know it comes with irreversible changes. Nonetheless, biomedical research has already established an overwhelming pace for real-world applications that is not likely to ease up or scale back anytime soon. Thus, researchers must step back and carefully evaluate the recent discoveries in genetic engineering of the human genome and the implications of innovation without watchful intervention.en-USGenetic engineeringCRISPR/Cas9Human Genome ProjectHGPBiomedical ResearchGenetic Testing--ethicsArticlehttps://doi.org/10.48497/44by-qc39