The Genesis Machine

December 15, 2021
A look at the coming revolution in biotechnology, with all its possible goods and evils. "A great transformation of life is underway," write futurist Webb and geneticist Hessel. The rising field of synthetic biology, with its underlying technology of gene editing, will allow for numerous things that do not yet exist, including the ability to sequence the genome of a virus nearly immediately, affording scientists a vast library of viruses that will provide the wherewithal to "cure any genetic disease in humankind." That revolution, the authors write, will remake food, energy, transportation, the supply chain, and commerce as a whole. Granted, write Webb and Hessel, this is a vast Pandora's box. Synthetic biology is largely the province of corporations and governments in the developed world, and it is not outside the realm of reason to think that a corporation might maximize profit or a government, political gain through its ability to control the food supply and indeed the genetic library of the planet. The problem, as the authors note in deeply researched but accessible prose, is that there is little in the way of coherence in terms of international agreements or "consensus on the acceptable circumstances under which humans should manipulate human, animal, or plant life." Part of that problem is the generally laissez faire attitude of some governments, especially the U.S., to develop regulations that "don't intervene until there's a problem, so as not to stifle innovations." Because the current regulatory climate isn't well structured for future-proofing, one important step is the development of a body of law and convention acknowledging that "this new approach to biology warrants a new approach to regulation," balancing the public good with scientific and commercial interests. The authors propose planks of a platform to this end while noting the difficulty of reining in tech-driven countries such as China to honor international licensing systems and other controls. A wrinkle on the near future that many readers will not have pondered--and should.

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December 1, 2021
In this thought-provoking introduction to synthetic biology, hope and worry go hand-in-hand when considering the vast potential of biotechnologies (DNA synthesis, genome editing) restyling life and even creating new organisms. And while the ability to transform life at its most fundamental level promises wonderful benefits (the elimination of diseases, an abundant global food supply, environmental assistance), the power to reprogram life raises multiple ethical and moral concerns. Who controls this awesome skill (scientists, governments, or entrepreneurs?) and how? What about cost and equitable accessibility to its medical use, the rush to enhancements, and the specter of eugenics? Genetically engineered twin babies in China, the making of a super rice, a ""gene drive"" that modifies the genetics of disease-carrying mosquitoes are examples of synthetic biology's recent feats. Webb and Hessel recount landmark biotech moments, such as bioengineering bacterial cells to produce human insulin, and discuss a variety of molecular biology tools and methodologies, from CRISPR to bioreactors, modern DNA synthesizers, and a digital-to-biological converter. Synthetic biology is breathtaking science, but it is also scary. Who's in charge, and where are the brakes? (For more genetic engineering titles, see Core Collection: Genetics in the Age of CRISPR on p.xx.)

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