Genetically Modified Monkeys

According to a Russia Today article the first set of genetically modified monkeys were created through a method called Crispr/Cas9. The monkeys were born in a lab in China, and the process was not easy. In 180 embryos, 83 were able to be placed in female macaques, and of those only 10 resulted in pregnancies. All of which were unable to produce living offspring, except for one, which resulted in 2 baby monkeys with simultaneous mutations in two genes. The hopes of this journey is to be able to do research on human disease and improve upon the health of mankind.

Personally, while I do agree with modifying genetics in animals in order to better them, I do not like it when animals are used as test dummies. Being a pre-veterinary student, I have a great deal of appreciation for not only animal life, but the quality of animal life. If these monkeys were created with the hopes of preventing a primate disease, I would have no qualms with this. However, it is clearly stated in the article that these monkeys will be used for testing when they are older in order to better the human race. While I do not put animal life at a higher value of the human race, I cannot support a cause that deliberately treats animals like pawns or objects. There comes a point where we begin to cross a line, and this article from PBS talks a little about just that. My wish is that one day we will be able to strike a balance between humans, flora, and fauna, that can better us all and not just the human race.