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Tenth Graders Learn About Gene Editing from Seeley Fancher ‘14
Emily Walsh’s 10th grade British Literature class is reading Brave New World, a dystopian novel that addresses gene editing. To learn more about the process and the ethics behind the science, students had a virtual session with Seeley Fancher ‘14, a research technician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, St. Luke’s alum, and former St. Luke’s science fellow.
Walsh shares more about the students’ experience below.
My 10th grade British Literature class is reading the book Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. The book is a dystopian novel that addresses the possibility of gene editing and takes place in a society where everyone is "manufactured" to be a member of a certain caste. Seeley Fancher ‘14, a research technician at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, works in a lab that uses CRISPR, a modern gene-editing tool. The class joined Seeley to discuss CRISPR’s ethics and how it connects to the novel’s setting, helping students see the connection between science and humanities.
Seeley shared many great insights into the CRISPR process and got the students thinking about the ethics of such a significant scientific advancement. Some of the students’ questions were about who would be able to afford CRISPR, whether it would make our world a better place, and who gets to decide what is best for society. It was great to see the students bridge the gap between their English and science classes, especially since much of the information Seeley shared was deeply rooted in what they learned last year in biology.
To hear the class recording with Seeley Fancher, click here.
St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 35 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Center for Leadership builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.
