Precise Technology?

This paper is an update and further clarification of the (Ger- man-language) statement on genome editing we published at the beginning of 2017. Due to the rapid developments in the field of medical research, we have restricted ourselves to this area of application in the present paper. We call for an end to genome editing research on human germ cells and embryos, and call on all stakeholders to engage in responsible science communication. Below we elucidate our technical, economic and discursive criticism of the earlier and current debate. We then illuminate specific problems of heritable genome editing as a basis for the demands we make in addressing actors from the fields of science, medicine, politics and industry.