The Role of CRISPR and Genome Editing Technologies in Shaping the Future of Agriculture and Healthcare
Authors:
Journal Name: Life Science Review
Abstract
CRISPR and related genome editing technologies have rapidly transitioned from laboratory tools to foundational platforms reshaping agriculture and healthcare. By enabling precise, efficient, and scalable modification of genetic sequences, CRISPR-Cas systems accelerate basic discovery, therapeutic development, and crop improvement. In healthcare, in vivo and ex vivo editing strategies target monogenic disorders, cancer, infectious diseases, and polygenic risk through somatic interventions, while advances in delivery, specificity, and off-target control expand clinical feasibility. In agriculture, genome editing enhances yield, resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses, nutritional quality, and sustainability by producing traits that are difficult or slow to obtain with conventional breeding. Emerging modalities—base and prime editing, epigenome editing, and RNA-targeting systems—further refine precision and functional scope. Yet the acceleration of editing technologies raises critical ethical, ecological, and governance questions, including equitable access, germline boundaries, biosafety, gene drive oversight, intellectual property, and public trust. This paper surveys the current landscape of CRISPR applications across agriculture and healthcare, highlights technical advances and translational milestones, and outlines the regulatory, ethical, and social frameworks necessary to steer genome editing toward equitable, safe, and sustainable futures.