EXTRA CREDIT- Bioethics

Synthetic Rhino Horns

     Can a 3D printed rhino horn stop poachers and save the lives of rhinos? This company, Pembient, is planning to used DNA technology and economics to save rhinos. Since poachers are killing rhinos for their horns, the animals are on the verge of becoming extinct. In the article, Biotech Firm 3D Prints Fake Rhino Horn That's Genetically Identical To The Real Thing, they state "... Pembient argue this is the best bet for the survival of the rhinoceroses in the wild". The last white rhino male is on permanent guard and had part of its horn removed to become less of a target to poachers. Pembient has the idea of taking keratin, the same protein that humans have in hair and nails, with rhino horn DNA and 3D print to make a horn, thus selling them at half the price which will then put poachers out of business (Independent). One problem facing this idea is that poachers realize that they are fake and may move on to other endangered animals which will create more issues later on. The CEO of Pembient created a survey for people that use rhino horns and this is what they found out: "'We surveyed users of rhino horn and found that 45% of them would accept using rhino horn made from a lab, in comparison, only 15% said they would use water buffalo horn, the official substitute for rhino horn'"(PRNewswire). The reward is worth the risk in saving lives of rhinos, there may be hope for these endangered animals and they won't have to suffer any longer than they do right now. Pembient has a very clever idea in stopping poachers, but will it work?




Bibliography:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/synthetic-rhino-horns-are-being-3d-printed-in-an-effort-to-defeat-poachers-10334751.html

file:///Users/alwhitman/Downloads/Biotech%20Firm%203D%20Prints%20Fake%20Rhino%20Horn%20That's%20Genetically%20Identical%20To%20The%20Real%20Thing%20-%20IFLScience.pdf

https://www.savetherhino.org/rhino_info/thorny_issues/synthetic_rhino_horn_will_it_save_the_rhino

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pembient-purveyor-of-bioengineered-rhino-horn-is-admitted-to-indiebio-accelerator-300026480.html



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