Molecular Biology in Cinema: Gattaca

In my attempt to make this as interesting and tolerable as possible  I will try to connect Molecular Biology to one of my biggest interests, movies. One of my favorite genres of film is science fiction. Although the vast majority of science fiction films that are made are based in fantasy, they can be very predictive of future scientific breakthroughs. Just take a look one episode of the original "Star Trek" and you will see many devices that look like the ones we use today.

One movie that may be very predictive is the 1996 film "Gattaca". The title is composed of the nucleotide base pairs G, A, T, C. Long story short, it is about a future dystopian society that has attained the ability to genetically alter its future offspring and select the best hereditary traits.   Parents are able to change their children's physical and psychological traits by simple altering the embryo's genetic code. The film tackles the issues of eugenics, class systems, and genetics.

Could this be replicated in real life? According to NPR, scientists have been able to successfully edit DNA in human embryos. They were able to do so without causing any harmful mutations. Research of this nature could have monumental implications in eugenics and family planning. But, if left unchecked this could lead to a generation of irresponsibly genetically modified humans

Sources:

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/08/02/540975224/scientists-precisely-edit-dna-in-human-embryos-to-fix-a-disease-gene

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca