Signal Spain's CRISPR position: origin of the molecular basis, EU advocacy and the 2025 ONAC report

Summary

The report stresses that Spain is not starting from scratch on CRISPR. The molecular basis that gave rise to CRISPR was described in Spain, and internationally recognised research groups work there in agriculture, biomedicine and the environment. Spain has pushed the European Union debate on new genomic techniques, and several public hospitals are taking part in trials that could bring these therapies closer to clinical practice. In 2025, the National Office for Scientific Advice (ONAC) published a report on CRISPR in agriculture, food and health that analyses public policy options for a safe, equitable and socially useful rollout. The report sees CRISPR as a potential cornerstone of a bioeconomy based on organisms designed for specific tasks. Spain's existing strengths support a favourable position in that transition.