ASU to co-host international summit on genome editing
An illustration of the gene editing technology CRISPR cutting a DNA strand. Image by Ernesto del Aguila III/NHGRI
A baby is cured for the very first time from a rare, life-threatening disease.
Adults with painful sickle cell disease are finding new cures.
The dire wolf is brought back to life.
The world’s deadliest animal, the mosquito, is being tamed to save lives worldwide.
In just a decade, the gene-editing technology CRISPR is turning these once seemingly impossible headlines ever faster into reality. And with CRISPR coming of age, in its wake are profound ethical and regulatory ramifications for the future of humanity and life on Earth.
Poised to tackle this reality, the Global Observatory for Genome Editing will host its International Summit, with help from ASU faculty, from May 21 to 23 at the Norton’s Woods Conference Center at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
This pivotal event aims to delve into the ethical, societal and governance challenges posed by advancements in genome editing technologies.
“The mission of the Global Observatory on Genome Editing is to foster international, interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral dialogue about how to govern biotechnologies with the potential to alter the meaning of being human,” said Ben Hurlbut, conference co-organizer and an ASU faculty member in the School of Life Sciences.
“The summit will gather diverse intellectual, cultural, religious, political and scientific perspectives to reflect on the implications of understandings of the meaning of being human for projects in biotechnology.”
Building upon the momentum of previous summits held in 2015, 2018 and 2023, the 2025 gathering seeks to broaden the discourse surrounding human genome editing. The summit's central objective is to amplify diverse human experiences and perspectives in the governance of emerging biotechnologies, ensuring that deliberations are inclusive and representative.
Program highlights
The summit will feature a series of plenary sessions, panel discussions and keynote addresses focusing on:
- The ethical implications of human genome editing.
- Societal impacts and public engagement strategies.
- Governance frameworks and policy development.
- Interdisciplinary approaches to biotechnology regulation.
Confirmed speakers include Kiran Musunuru (University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine), Daniel Wikler (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health), Victor Dzau (National Academy of Medicine), George Daley (Harvard Medical School), George Church (Harvard University) and Alondra Nelson (Institute for Advanced Study).
Registration details
The summit offers both free in-person and virtual attendance options to accommodate a global audience. Interested participants can register through the official summit website.
“Our hope is to break with the pattern of ethical debate that is merely reactive to the technological development of the day,” Hurlbut said. “We hope to lay the foundation for more sustained and inclusive deliberation that begins with understandings of human integrity, purpose and common good in order to ensure that technology serves humanity, rather than the reverse.”
This event represents a significant opportunity for stakeholders across disciplines to engage in meaningful discussions and contribute to the shaping of responsible genome editing practices worldwide.
About the organization
The summit is organized by the Global Observatory for Genome Editing, an initiative that Sheila Jasanoff, Krishanu Saha and Ben Hurlbut co-founded in 2020 that is dedicated to fostering inclusive and interdisciplinary dialogues on the governance of genome editing technologies. The observatory emphasizes the importance of integrating diverse perspectives to navigate the complex ethical and societal dimensions of biotechnology.
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