This essential should serve as an introduction for a contemporary public discussion on genetic engineering. Genetic engineering affects us all in many areas and we must dare to think more colorful and further. In fact, the complete genetic material of viruses and bacteria can already be chemically produced and "brought to life". With genetic surgery, medicine is at a crossroads: do we want to treat hereditary diseases or "repair" them genetically? And the analysis of thousands of human genetic material reveals information that is related to complex diseases, but also to characteristics such as intelligence. How should we use this knowledge? The question is hardly whether we want genetic engineering, but rather how we use it. This Springer essential is a translation of the original German 1st edition essentials, Gentechnik by Roebbe Wunschiers, published by The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature in 2019. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content, so that the book will read stylistically differently from a conventional translation. Springer Nature works continuously to further the development of tools for the production of books and on the related technologies to support the authors.

With CRISPR/Cas gene editing tools in hand, we are currently experiencing a new dimension in genetic engineering. But where should the journey lead? Should we treat diseases or better repair them genetically? Will the new genetic engineering, combined with modern reproductive biology, lead to designer babies? And: May we allow a liberalization of these techniques as citizen science? New methods can precisely alter the genetic material - and they leave no traces. This gene and genome surgery thrives on increasing knowledge about the mode of action of genes, those trait-giving regions in the genome. This knowledge is being applied in practice, particularly in the breeding of more resistant and higher-yielding crops. And what about us? The author shows that gene variants have long been associated not only with diseases, but also with nutritional preferences or intelligence. Therapeutic and optimization options are close at hand. What effect does the environment have on the expression of genetic material? Genes can be shaped during a person's lifetime by the environment, nutrition or experiences and thus passed on to their offspring in a modified form. So, does society have a new form of long-term responsibility for (epi)genetic integrity? In this vividly and comprehensibly written book, the author explains the state of genetic engineering without assuming too much prior knowledge and invites an open dialogue on this ambivalent topic. Get your own idea of the fascinating yet intimidating possibilities of genetic engineering. Where do you stand on the issue? With the help of this book, you have the chance to form a differentiated opinion. This book is a translation of the original German 1st edition Generation Gen-Schere by Roebbe Wunschiers, published by Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature in 2019. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). The text was subsequently revised by the author. Springer Nature works continuously to further the development of tools for the production of books and on the related technologies to support the authors.

Dieses essential soll als Einfuhrung fur eine zeitgemasse oeffentliche Diskussion zur Gentechnologie dienen. Die Gentechnik betrifft uns alle in vielen Bereichen und wir mussen uns trauen, bunter und weiter zu denken. Tatsachlich kann bereits das komplette Erbgut von Viren und Bakterien chemisch erzeugt und "zum Leben erweckt" werden. Mit der Genchirurgie ist die Medizin an einem Scheidepunkt: Wollen wir Erbkrankheiten therapieren oder genetisch "reparieren"? Und die Analyse tausender menschlicher Erbgute foerdert Informationen zutage, die mit komplexen Krankheiten, aber auch Merkmalen wie Intelligenz in Verbindung stehen. Wie sollen wir dieses Wissen nutzen? Es stellt sich kaum noch die Frage, ob wir Gentechnik wollen, sondern vielmehr, wie wir sie anwenden.