Hacking the Code of Life

<p><b>'An excellent brisk guide to what is likely to happen as opposed to the fantastically remote.' - <i>Los Angeles Review of Books</i></b> <p/>In 2018 the world woke up to gene editing with a storm of controversy over twin girls born in China with genetic changes deliberately introduced by scientists - changes they will pass on to their own offspring. <p/>Genetic modification (GM) has been with us for 45 years now but the new system known as CRISPR or gene editing can manipulate the genes of almost any organism with a degree of precision ease and speed that we could only dream of ten years ago. <p/>But is it ethical to change the genetic material of organisms in a way that might be passed on to future generations? If a person is suffering from a lethal genetic disease is it unethical to deny them this option? Who controls the application of this technology when it makes 'biohacking' - perhaps of one's own genome - a real possibility? <p/>Nessa Carey's book is a thrilling and timely snapshot of a cutting-edge technology that will radically alter our futures and the way we prevent disease. <p/><b>'A focused snapshot of a brave new world.' - <i>Nature</i></b> <p/><b>'A brisk accessible primer on the fast-moving field a clear-eyed look at a technology that is already driving major scientific advances - and raising complex ethical questions.' - Emily Anthes <i>Undark</i></b></p>