Scientists need more caution with gene drives

AT THE RECENT UNITED NATIONS Conference on Bio-Diversity (CBD), held in Egypt, a move to impose a global moratorium on the release of biotechnologies into the environment failed. China Youth Daily comments:

Scientists have already demonstrated that genetic engineering can rapidly spread a self-destructive genetic modification through a species. Researchers have already sharpened their tools with a so-called self-destructive sterilization gene in mosquitoes. If proved successful, the new technology might cause mosquitoes as a species to die out.

Which raises the question: Do humans have the right to wage gene genocide against other species?