Genome editing: the dynamics of continuity, convergence, and change in the engineering of life

Abstract

Genome editing enables very accurate alterations to DNA. It promises profound and potentially disruptive changes in healthcare, agriculture, industry, and the environment. This paper presents a multidisciplinary analysis of the contemporary development of genome editing and the tension between continuity and change. It draws on the idea that actors involved in innovation are guided by “sociotechnical regimes” composed of practices, institutions, norms, and cultural beliefs. The analysis focuses on how genome editing is emerging in different domains and whether this marks continuity or disruption of the established biotechnology regime. In conclusion, it will be argued that genome editing is best understood as a technology platform that is being powerfully shaped by this existing regime but is starting to disrupt the governance of biotechnology. In the longer term is it set to converge with other powerful technology platforms, which together will fundamentally transform the capacity to engineer life.

Keywords:

• genome editing
• sociotechnical regime
• technology platform

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

ORCID

Paul Martin http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0366-9271

Michael Morrison http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6870-6673

Brigitte Nerlich http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6617-7827

Stevienna de Saille http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8183-7771

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

Michael Morrison’s work was supported the UK Economic and Social Research Council (grant ref ES/P002943/1). Brigitte Nerlich’s work was supported by the University of Nottingham Synthetic Biology Research Centre and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (grant ref: BB/L013940/1). Ilke Turkmendag was supported by a small grant from Newcastle University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Research Fund.