Lives have been lost to testing and this is creating huge ethical debates. Additionally, whether GMO crops are safe and whether cross-contamination of genes between crops could be an environmental problem are other questions that need to be addressed. For humans, the bottom line is that this technology is not yet ready. It is commonly used in plants and animals and humans consume these products, but for use in human genetics itself it should not yet be used. Genetic engineering is the subject of much debate, but can also have broad applications when the technology is mastered and fully harnessed.