The last Science Café of 2023 discussed gene editing w/ Alžběta Ressnerová

This year's last Science Café hosted Alžběta Ressnerová, a researcher from CEITEC and holder of the Fulbright Masaryk Fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley, specifically at the Innovative Genomics Institute where she focused on the development of platforms for the delivery of CRISPR to target cells.

The event organized by the CZELO office, the Representation of the South Moravian Region to the EU, the Czech Centre Brussels and the Prague House in Brussels attracted over 50 guests.

The moderator of the debate, Olga Maximová (Czechitas) opened with a question on nanorobots, their design and function. Alžběta Ressnerová further presented the current debate in the field of gene editing and what the first legally permitted clinical use for specific diseases in the United Kingdom means for this field. The Czech trace in the field of gene editing was also discussed. Specifically, the first study that dealt with the possible use of CRISPR for gene editing was written by Prof. Dr. Martin Jínek in 2012. At the end of the debate, Alžběta further discussed bacterial immunity and the function of CRISPR in genome editing, as well as the ethically questionable applications of this technology in China.

Watch the whole debate on our YouTube channel below:

Event photos are available on our LinkedIn profile.

Photo: Dagmar Kneřová (Prague House Brussels)