Cracking the American Chestnut Genome
May 1, 2020
In what started as a budget operation but is now backed by big philanthropic bucks, researchers in New York are using genetic engineering to restore the American chestnut that dominated the Appalachians before falling to a fungus—and they are reportedly on the cusp of success. But questions are arising about the value and ethics of releasing engineered trees into the wild. In Issues, a philosopher previously examined such arguments, concluding that public opinion will ultimately decide the fate of these trees and perhaps other genetically modified organisms as well.