Question: can you extract and alter dna

Andrew Senior answered on 13 Feb 2026:

It can be done. But this is something that sits primarily in the sphere of research. DNA editing (as it’s called) is highly controversial and doesn’t have very many human applications just yet. Mainly it’s used to alter extracted DNA, which is then reintroduced for therapeutic reasons. Gene therapy is an example of this and has had limited success in medicine.