Faculty Fellows Diana Bowman and Andrew Maynard we just awarded funding from ASU’s Global Sports Institute (GSI) for a project on “Gene Doping” – the use of CRISPR to alter genes in humans and produce perfect athletes. The award was part of GSI’s “Sport 2036” Grant Program to explore the future of sports.
Emerging and cutting-edge technologies have long been used to gain a competitive edge in sports. These technologies have been used in both legal and illegal ways. Gene doping may be particularly controversial as it has the potential to provide an unprecedented advantage for athletes and the organizations and nations that support them.
Governing bodies across the world of sport are taking gene doping seriously. The World Anti-Doping Agency has already announced a ban on all forms of gene editing in sports beginning this year. But it is plausible that by 2036 we could see the first generation designed from gestation for enhanced athletic traits.
Bowman and Maynard will study the potential impacts of gene editing technology on sports, the ethical and legal ramifications of programs designed to produce “super” athletes, and how this technology may be harnessed responsibly for enhancing athletic performance.