Jennifer Doudna’s work on CRISPR gene editing is revolutionizing science and medicine, but also poses ethical and societal challenges.
"The Code Breaker" by Walter Isaacson is a biography of Jennifer Doudna, a biochemist who co-invented the CRISPR gene-editing technology, and a exploration of the ethical, societal, and scientific implications of gene editing. The book details Doudna's journey from a curious child to a world-renowned scientist, and how she and her colleagues discovered the CRISPR-Cas9 system that allows for precise gene editing. Isaacson also delves into the various ways that CRISPR is being used and the debates surrounding its potential uses, including curing genetic diseases, creating genetically modified organisms, and even enhancing human abilities.
Title: The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race
Author: Walter Isaacson
Publishing year: 2021
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Length in hours: 16 hours and 4 minutes