Forbes.com contributor, Eva Amsen, writes about the intersection of science and art. Here she reviews the intertwining roles of science and diversity in the creation of ANYA. (5/31/19)
Read MoreScience advisor, Dr. Ruth McCole, shares her experiences on ANYA.
Read MoreCreating the story of ANYA allowed anthropologist Carylanna Taylor “to apply anthropological concepts like cultural relativity, cultural construction of race, and evolution to create the biology and culture of a new species of humans and imagine what it might be like for them when a well-meaning scientist “discovers” their existence.”
Read MoreThanks to Yelena Bernadskaya at Adventures in Poor Taste (AiPT) Science for a wonderful writeup of interviews with ANYA co-creator Dr. Carylanna Taylor and science advisor Dr. Ruth McCole on the science behind this fiction film.
“It’s very satisfying for me to see filmmakers put in the effort to portray science (and scientists) correctly and truthfully in their work. “ (AiPT Science, 3/14/19)
Read More“Jacob Akira Okada & Carylanna Taylor Discuss The Future Of Families & ANYA”
by Jim Dixon for Film Inquiry
“Anya invites viewers to explore issues surrounding the development of genetic technologies, and the struggles of creating a family in a world where the definition of family is evolving.”
Read MoreANYA co-creators played “what the if?” with host and documentary filmmaker Philip Shane (11/26/19).
What if another species of humans walked among us?
What if you found out your new spouse was a Neandertal? Or a “Narval”?
Listen to What the If? on Soundcloud, Stitcher, or wherever you love to listen.
Read MoreScience for Progress’s host, neuroscientist Dennis Eckmeir talks with ANYA’s co-creators, Carylanna Taylor and Jacob Okada, about a “A Split in the Human Species.” (11/24/19)
“The plot of ANYA could happen today!”
Read More
Host Tony Tellado talks sci-fi with the co-writers and directors of Anya which tackles the issues of diversity and immigration in an SF way.
Listen to the full podcast on Sci-Fi Talk!
Read More11/27 & 11/29 event announcement and write-up
For Synapse: UCSF Student Voices by Elma Frias on 10/21/19.
“Science lovers will rejoice over the UCSF Associated Students of the Graduate Division’s (ASGD) free screening of ANYA — a provocative, scientifically-sound and emotionally satisfying story of a couple’s decision to turn to science for help with having a baby.”
Read More“EXCLUSIVE: Modern Genetics Takes A Dark Turn In The Trailer For ‘ANYA’” by Jax Motes
ScienceFiction.com reviews First Encounter Productions new trailer for #Anya
"....think of all those Ancestry DNA ads you see every day. This is like an extreme version of that!..."
By Jax Motes for ScienceFiction.com
Read MoreThe CRISPR Journal, Vol 2, No 5
Jodi Halpern, Sharon E. O'Hara, Kevin W. Doxzen, Lea B. Witkowsky, and Aleksa L. Owen
“…While essential, public input and principles are not sufficient to ensure ethical uses of this technology. We propose an approach that relies not only on agreed-upon principles and a democratic process but requires a Human Rights Impact Assessment to evaluate the potential burdens that such biomedical interventions may place on human rights.”
Read MoreThe website of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) offers K-12 teaching resources, field schools, public ed, and higher ed learning resources. Two online resources of note:
“The RACE Project explains differences among people and reveals the reality – and unreality – of race. The story of race is complex and may challenge how we think about race and human variation, about the differences and similarities among people.” (A video from this project makes an appearance in ANYA!)
“World on the Move: 100,000 Years of Human Migration, draws on scholarship concerning the depth of human history and the breadth of cultures across the globe to help people rethink their ideas about moving, displacement, and belonging—and to use what they learn to better understand their own migration histories and those of others.”
Image by: World on the Move
Read MoreThe Personal Genetics Education Project raises awareness and sparks conversation about the potential benefits as well as the ethical, legal, and social implications of personal genetics. They have free lesson plans available for high school and educators.
Read MoreFrom associations and blogs to genomic databases and government initiatives, discover a wide range of genetics and genomics resources available online. Courtesy of Frontline Genomics.
Read MoreCreated by Dr. Laura Rivard's’ UCSD biology students, this site includes a range of introductory genetics tutorials, updates on current research and testing, and a chance to explore genetics laws and ethics through case studies.
This is a great place to start, but be aware that it appears to have been created in 2015 and may not be up to date.
Read MoreThe Genetics/Genomics Competency Center (G2C2) provides an online repository of curated genetics/genomics education materials for educators and practitioners. Includes peer reviewed collections for genetic counselors, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, and physicians.
Read MoreIn ANYA, fictional scientist Dr. Seymour Livingston considers pursuing clandestine use of “gene-editing technology” to help a friend conceive. At the time of filming and now, that technology would be CRISPR.
As we wrote the script and filmed, our collaborators at PGED were working to educate legislators about genetics technologies, including CRISPR. Now the first law to directly regulate CRISPR has appeared in form of a California “human biohacking” bill demanding a warning on DYI genetic-engineering kits.
Article by Antonio Regalado for MIT Technology Review
Read MoreDuring the development of ANYA we had the privilege of attending several PGED congressional briefings. This is the first resolution I’ve noticed to come out in support of helping “forge an international consensus regarding the limits of ethical clinical use of genome-edited human embryos.”
Article by Jef Akst for the The Scientist
Image by istock.com
Read MoreANYA takes a fictional look at a couple, a scientist, and a small community deciding whether to pursue gene-editing to have a healthy baby. In the real world, the race is on to produce — and to regulate — gene-edited babies.
When we filmed ANYA, this kind of gene-editing was still fiction. But by last November, when we were in post-production, news broke that a Chinese scientist had created twin “CRISPR babies.” Now, a Russian molecular biologist plans to implant gene-edited embryos in HIV+ volunteer mothers as early as the end of 2019. His goal is similar: to edit the embryos’ CCR5 genes in a way that reduces the risks of passing on HIV in utero.
This proposal comes at a time when most scientists believe that experiments on “gene-edited babies” should be banned until an international ethical framework is in place.
Read Nature’s 6/10/19 article on Dr. Denis Rebrikov’s controversial proposal.
Read Nature’s 6/11/19 Editorial urging the scientific community to intervene. (Image credit: Yorgos Nikas/SPL)
ANYA encourages viewers to join the worldwide debate now underway on how best to regulate gene editing in human sperm, eggs, and embryos.
Read More“The scientist who edited the genomes of twin girls in an attempt to make them resistant to HIV might have inadvertently shortened their life expectancy.”
Article by Sara Reardon for Nature.
Image: Biophysicist He Jiankui helped to create the world's first gene-edited babies.
Image Credit: Mark Schiefelbein/AP/Shutterstock
