Principal Investigator Kevin Esvelt
Project Website http://www.media.mit.edu/groups/sculpting-evolution/overview/
Evolved systems are very different from technologies designed by humans. They're harder to predict and sometimes evolve away from intended purposes, but can also achieve outcomes we could never have rationally designed. The Sculpting Evolution group invents new ways of engineering self-replicating systems, including but not limited to gene drive elements capable of altering wild populations. By ensuring that candidate gene drives are developed transparently and responsively from project inception, we hope to catalyze a shift towards community-guided research that will change the relationship between science, society, and the natural world.