The announcement by Oregon Health & Science University that scientists there had edited the genes of human embryos to remove the cause of a deadly disease has raised the prospect of a powerful new tool for physicians — as well as fears of a Pandora’s Box that could lead to “designer babies” and humans engineered for desirable traits such as strength or intelligence.

In a Q&A with the Harvard Gazette, Robert Truog, Frances Glessner Lee Professor of Medical Ethics, Anaesthesiology , and Pediatrics, and the director of Harvard Medical School’s Center for Bioethics, shared his thoughts on the debate the breakthrough set off.

Read the full Gazette Q&A here.