Policy Memo: Prohibiting Unnecessary Use of Antibiotics in Food-Producing Animals

In April 2020, two teams of ProSPER members participated in the National Science Policy Network‘s policy memo competition. This is the memo by Ananya Benegal, Kevin Blake, and Lauren Koenig; the memo by Hannah Frye, Emilee Kotnik, and Rachel Rahn can be found here. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Antibiotics are the foundation of the modern healthcare system, […]

It’s a Microbe’s World

I worked nearly every summer of my teenage years at a summer camp for Cub Scouts. On the first night of each new session the staff would officially welcome everyone by hosting an “Opening Campfire.” The campers and their families would gather on wooden benches set before a stage on the edge of the lake, […]

On the Origins of “The March of Progress”

The image is iconic: A lineup of six figures. At the rear is an ape-like figure, crouched-over and walking on all fours. Ahead of it is a similar-looking figure, but one who’s walking on two feet. This trend continues, with each successive figure becoming a little taller, a little less hunched, and little less hairy […]

CRISPR-edited Babies Scandal Highlights Inconsistent International Policy

On November 25, news broke that a Chinese scientist, Dr. He Jiankui, had allegedly produced the first CRISPR-edited babies, twin girls named Lulu and Nana. This set off a firestorm within the international scientific community. He has been accused of violating numerous scientific conventions, ethical safeguards, and the global consensus on human germline gene modification. The scandal has been described […]