But doesn't that ignore the fact that bacteria have probably been exposed to UV light for millions of years (even if it's at a lower dose, and not all the time)
That's precisely the point. Low doses of UV are not going create lots of mutations. But if you hit a bacterium with lots of uv, you get so many mutations that when you select for some particular trait, you don't know what else you're getting with it.
whereas your precision editing may be completely untested? It's this kind of focusing on the details which can lead to people overseeing potential problems in the real world.
On the other hand, when you use the techniques of genetic engineering to insert or remove particular sequences of DNA, you know exactly which bits you're putting in. And also, these genetic chimeras are tested in the lab before they're used commercially or medicinally. (Any diabetics out here? You do know that the insulin you rely on is produced largely by a yeast that was genetically engineered, right?)
"Experience has proved that some people indeed know everything." -- Russell Baker
