The code breaker: Jennifer Doudna, gene editing, and the future of the human race

Introduction. Into the breach

Part one. The origins of life. Hilo

The gene

DNA

The education of a biochemist

The human genome

RNA

Twists and folds

Berkeley

Part two. CRISPR. Clustered repeats

The Free Speech Movement Café

Jumping in

The yogurt makers

Genentech

The lab

Caribou

Emmanuelle Charpentier

CRISPR-Cas9

Science, 2012

Dueling presentations

Part three. Gene editing. A human tool

The race

Feng Zhang

George Church

Zhang tackles CRISPR

Doudna joins the race

Photo finish

Doudna's final sprint

Forming companies

Mon amie

The heroes of CRISPR

Patents

Part four. CRISPR in action. Therapies

Biohacking

DARPA and anti-CRISPR

Part five. Public scientist. Rules of the road

Doudna steps in

Part six. CRISPR babies. He Jiankui

The Hong Kong summit

Acceptance

Part seven. Moral questions. Red lines

Thought experiments

Who should decide?

Doudna's ethical journey

Part eight. Dispatches from the front. Quebec

I learn to edit

Watson revisited

Doudna pays a visit

Part nine. Coronavirus. Call to arms

Testing

The Berkeley lab

Mammoth and Sherlock

Coronavirus tests

Vaccines

CRISPR cures

Cold Spring Harbor virtual

The Nobel Prize.

Introduction. Into the breach

Part one. The origins of life. Hilo ; The gene ; DNA ; The education of a biochemist ; The human genome ; RNA ; Twists and folds ; Berkeley

Part two. CRISPR. Clustered repeats ; The Free Speech Movement Café ; Jumping in ; The yogurt makers ; Genentech ; The lab ; Caribou ; Emmanuelle Charpentier ; CRISPR-Cas9 ; Science, 2012 ; Dueling presentations

Part three. Gene editing. A human tool ; The race ; Feng Zhang ; George Church ; Zhang tackles CRISPR ; Doudna joins the race ; Photo finish ; Doudna's final sprint ; Forming companies ; Mon amie ; The heroes of CRISPR ; Patents

Part four. CRISPR in action. Therapies ; Biohacking ; DARPA and anti-CRISPR

Part five. Public scientist. Rules of the road ; Doudna steps in

Part six. CRISPR babies. He Jiankui ; The Hong Kong summit ; Acceptance

Part seven. The moral questions. Red lines ; Thought experiments ; Who should decide? ; Doudna's ethical journey

Part eight. Dispatches from the front. Quebec ; I learn to edit ; Watson revisited ; Doudna pays a visit

Part nine. Coronavirus. Call to arms ; Testing ; The Berkeley lab ; Mammoth and Sherlock ; Coronavirus tests ; Vaccines ; CRISPR cures ; Cold Spring Harbor virtual ; The Nobel Prize

Epilogue.