When planning human settlements on the Moon, Mars and other parts of the world, great attention is paid to travel times, food supplies and radiation risks.
We will undoubtedly face harsh environmental conditions in the depths of space, and some thinkers see genome editing as a way to ensure that humans can endure the harsh conditions as they venture deeper into the solar system.
In January, I was lucky enough to attend a much-anticipated debate between Astronomer Royal Lord Martin Rees and Mars exploration campaigner Dr Robert Zubrin, hosted by the British Interplanetary Society, on whether Mars exploration should be done by humans or robots.
In a recent book called The End of Astronauts, Lord Rees and his co-author Donald Goldsmith describe the benefits of exploring the solar system using robotic spacecraft and vehicles, without the costs and risks associated with taking humans along. Dr. Zubrin supports human exploration.
There was some agreement, however, with Rees advocating for using genome editing technology to enable humans to overcome the immense challenges associated with becoming an interplanetary species.
Our genome is all the DNA present in our cells. Since 2011, we have been able to edit genomes easily and precisely. First came a molecular tool called Crispr-Cas9, which can now be used in a high school lab for very little cost and has even been used on the International Space Station.
Then techniques called base and prime editing came along, which can make tiny changes to the genome of any living organism.
The potential applications of gene editing to enable us to travel further are almost limitless. One of the biggest dangers astronauts face in space is higher doses of radiation, which can disrupt many processes in the body and increase the risk of cancer in the long term.
Perhaps we could use genome editing to implant genes from plants and bacteria into humans that are capable of eliminating radiation in the event of a radioactive waste leak or fallout.
It sounds like science fiction, but renowned thinkers like Lord Rees believe this is the key to our evolution in the solar system.
The identification and insertion of genes in humans that slow down aging and counteract cell degradation could also be helpful.
We could also grow plants that can withstand radioactive contamination, since crews will have to grow their own food. We could also tailor medicines to the astronauts’ needs based on their individual genetic makeup.
Imagine a future in which the human genome is so well understood that it can be shaped using new, personalized medicine.
Genes for extremes
Tardigrades are microscopic animals sometimes called “water bears.” Experiments have shown that these tiny creatures can tolerate extreme temperatures, pressure, high levels of radiation, and starvation. They can even endure the vacuum of space.
Geneticists strive to understand their genome, and a paper published in the journal Nature attempted to uncover the key genes and proteins that give the tiny creatures this extraordinary stress tolerance.
If we could insert some of the genes involved into crops, could we make them resistant to extreme radiation and environmental stress? It’s worth exploring.
Even more exciting is the question of whether inserting tardigrade genes into our own genome could make us more resilient to the harsh conditions of space. Scientists have already shown that human cells in the laboratory developed an increased tolerance to X-rays when tardigrade genes were inserted into them.
Transferring genes from tardigrades is just one speculative example of how we could modify humans and crops to make them more suitable for space travel.
We need to do a lot more research for scientists to ever get to that point, but in the past, several governments have tried to impose strict restrictions on the use of genome editing and other technologies to insert genes from one species into another.
Germany and Canada are among the most cautious countries, but restrictions appear to be easing elsewhere as well.
In November 2018, Chinese scientist He Jiankui announced that he had created the first gene-edited babies. He had given the unborn twins a gene that gives them resistance to HIV infection.
The scientist was subsequently imprisoned. However, he has since been released and is allowed to carry out his research again.
In the new space race, some countries may go as far in genome editing as others, especially in the West where restrictions are already tight, and whoever wins would reap enormous scientific and economic benefits.
If Rees and the other futurists are right, this field has the potential to advance our expansion into the cosmos. But society has to agree to it.
There is likely to be resistance because of the deep-seated fear of changing the human species forever. And since base and prime editing have now improved the precision of targeted gene editing, it is clear that the technology is evolving faster than the debate.
One or two countries will probably take the step, while others will shy away. Only then will we find out how feasible these ideas really are.
Until then, we can only speculate with curiosity and perhaps excitement.
Sam McKee, Associate Tutor and PhD candidate in Philosophy of Science, Manchester Metropolitan University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.