‘Biotech is transformative technology of 21st century’

Dubai / WAM

Prominent thought leaders and experts discussed advancements in genome editing and biotechnology, along with their implications on society and healthcare in a series of sessions themed The Future of Health on day one of the sixth World Government Summit (WGS 2018), in Dubai.
“Biotech is the transformative technology of the 21st century. We are not just understanding our genome; we are editing it. For the first time, we are faced with science fiction-like scenarios,” said Ellen Jorgensen, co-founder and President of Biotech Without Borders, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to promoting citizen science and access to biotechnology.
“Over the last summer, the first experiment was conducted to edit a human embryo, and this opened a can of worms,” said Jorgensen. She explained that people started questioning how this technology should be regulated, who should get access to it and a host of other concerns.
As a member of the biohacking movement that aims to encourage individuals and smaller organisations to study biology using the same methods as traditional research institutions, Jorgensen advocates democratising biotechnology at the local level through community laboratories that not only teach the technical aspects of the science but also
explain how to contextualise it.

The second session hosted renowned science journalist Jennifer Kahn who discussed advancements in Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, CRISPR, a genome-editing technology that enables researchers to permanently modify genes in living cells and potentially correct mutations to treat genetic causes of disease.

Advancements in biotechnology have also significantly impacted healthcare, particularly in preventative medicine, according to the third speaker, Craig Venter, Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Human Longevity, Inc., a genomics-based health intelligence company focused on understanding how to prolong healthy human life.

Under the patronage of the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the World Government Summit runs from February 11th to 13th at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. The landmark event convenes more than 4,000 participants from 140 countries, including heads of state and governments, as well as top-tier representatives of 16 international organisations.

Hosting more than 130 speakers across 120 interactive sessions, WGS 2018 features six distinct forums that examine the challenges of vital sectors for the future with a view to finding the best resolutions for the greater global good. Over 20 specialised global reports spanning key sectors and topics of the summit are being launched during the event.