Genome editing, also called gene editing, is a term used to describe a collection of new techniques that alter the genetic material (usually DNA) of plants, animals, and microbes. 

In general, these techniques consist of different types of DNA "editing" systems that aim to insert, delete or otherwise alter a DNA sequence at specific, targeted sites in the genome. 

The genetic material of the organism is directly and artificially modified by humans, not through the reproductive process, turning these techniques into a form of genetic engineering, resulting in the creation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Genome editing systems consist of molecular components that are programmed to modify (make "edits") at a target location in the genome. The most commonly used genome editing technique is CRISPR-Cas9 or CRISPR, but other techniques follow similar principles.

Claims that these technologies are safer than other GM techniques are unproven. Each gene editing technique comes with its own risks and uncertainties. While many of these are the same as older genetic engineering techniques, there are serious additional concerns. 

There is a strong scientific case for classifying all these techniques as genetic engineering (genetic modification or GM) and regulating their use as rigorously as previous and current GM techniques.

The term "editing" refers to a level of certainty that is not currently and may never be possible. It suggests the ability to rewrite the genetic code and simply cut and paste DNA, but in reality the results are still determined by processes in the organism that we neither fully understand nor control.

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