"I wish that the field of genome editing is something that can develop in Malaysia. I don’t want us to just look to the US or UK and use their technology, but for us to be able to contribute to the field"
Dr Kumitaa Theva Das completed her BSc in the US, and did her PhD in one of the pioneer labs of genome editing in the US. She has spent almost fifteen years working on various genome editing tools, a technique that is able to change the genetic sequence of any organism. She has more than ten on-going nationally and internationally funded CRISPR (genome editing) projects, and serves as a consultant for several companies in genome editing. She is a recipient of numerous international awards for her work in CRISPR and recently returned from the University of Oxford, where she pursued an attachment for her CRISPR project. She is currently working with many international groups that aim to make gene therapy and genome editing affordable in all countries. She is also involved in COVID-19 work, and enjoys volunteering and giving science-based talks to the public during her free time.
We discussed her journey being part of a pioneering technology, the ethics of genome editing and her work in treating AIDS.
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Music by Caffeine Creek Band
Ad music by Jahzzar
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