CRISPR–Cas9 technology has already revolutionized biology and shows no sign of slowing. From GM crops to customized pets, patent disputes to CRISPR babies, we’ll be answering your questions about the powerful gene-editing tool at our CRISPR AMA on Thursday 17 March at 1:00 p.m. EDT / 5:00 p.m. GMT. Join Heidi Ledford and Sara Reardon at www.reddit.com/r/science.

The AMA opens at 8:00 a.m. EDT / 12:00 p.m. GMT for you to submit your questions. To take part, you will need a Reddit account. Register here.

Meet the team

I’m Heidi Ledford, a senior reporter in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I write about various biomedical topics: cancer research, drug development, biotechnology and, of course, CRISPR. A lot of CRISPR. CRISPR editing, CRISPR epigenetics, CRISPR gene drives, CRISPR patents, CRISPR babies (hypothetical only), CRISPR therapies (also still hypothetical) and DIY CRISPR (that one's real already). Once upon a time, I earned a PhD in plant biology at the University of California in Berkeley. But don't come to me for gardening advice. I used molecular biology to study photosynthesis in algae.

I'm Sara Reardon, a reporter based in Washington DC. I write about US science policy and biomedical research, especially neuroscience and microbiology. I'm a recovering scientist (clean for five years) and studied neurodevelopment for my master's degree in molecular biology, which was much harder pre-CRISPR. It is an exciting time to be writing about genome editing, especially as it brings to life wild ideas like pigs with human-like organs for transplantation and “de-extincted” woolly mammoths made by CRISPRing extra-hairy elephants.