A woman whose body keeps rejecting her fetus after a few months of pregnancy. A man who, certain at 18 that he needs a vasectomy, suddenly finds in his late 40s that he wants children, but his vasectomy reversal fails. Thus opens The Genesis Machine, with the stories of its two authors.
Its an enticing opening to a fascinating book by quantitative futurist Amy Webb and microbiologist Andrew Hessel, but also a bit of a red herring. Hessel and his wife solved their problem through in vitro fertilization, Webb and her husband theirs through genetic testing and ovulation induction agents. Neither author needed synthetic biology, the field that has sprung up around CRISPR, the DNA-editing machine.
The Genesis Machine
Nevertheless, Webb and Hessel skilfully detail the history, endless possibilities and many upsides of synthetic biology. Via in vitro gametogenesis, same-sex couples will soon be able to have babies bearing their own genetic material, without requiring donors. Wheat DNA has already been edited to produce more fibre, tomatoes to require less water and sunlight. Using stem cells, biologists are already developing protein that is, at a molecular level, actual beef. No cows necessary. No cattle blowing their greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Synthetic biology has recently had signal success in Modernas development of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Despite anti-vaxxer conspiracy theories, these vaccines are even less dangerous than conventional vaccines.
When the pandemic first hit, Dr. Zhang Yongzhens team in Shanghai decoded the COVID-19 genome in 40 hours and, thankfully, published it to GenBank shortly thereafter, paving the road to several vaccines. Nowadays you can buy a sequencing machine for the price of an iPhone. Pharmaceutical companies are developing mRNA vaccines for malaria and other diseases. At the same time, university researchers are working on editing the genetic structure of the mouths of malaria-carrying mosquitos to make them incapable of biting and, thus, of laying their eggs.
Supplied photo
Authors Amy Webb and Andrew Hessel
Other advances, such as plastic trees whose leaves sequester far more C02 than real trees do, may be far less beneficial than claimed, because Webb and Hessel ignore the exorbitant cost of materials and production.
Older stories of synthetic insulin lead into the contemporary adventures of synthetic biology entrepreneur Craig Venter. Particularly interesting is the account of He Jiankui who, without getting Chinese governmental permission, edited a pair of human twin embryos (hoping to make them immune to AIDS), leading to live births. In 2019, he was sentenced to three years in prison.
Mark Teske / The Associated Press files
Members of the surgical team perform the transplant of a pig heart into patient David Bennett in Baltimore, MD in January 2022. Bennett died in early March.
Despite how the authors baby quests rig the deck emotionally in favour of synthetic biology, the late-arriving Nine Risks chapter offers readers a choice of nightmares. Worried about deepfakes worming their way into the public record and falsifying it? How about augmented viruses leaving the lab and worming their way into your body?
Or how about a near future in which the Haves all have enough genetic enhancements to make the Have-nots nostalgic for their present poverty? Upgrade your children before birth! Certainly, it makes sense to edit out sickle-cell anemia, but it would take a very self-controlled genie not to agree to splice superior looks, athletic ability and intelligence into a customers childrens DNA. Chinas BGI group is already touting IQ boosts.
The EU and a number of countries have legislated against germline engineering, but that was before CRISPR, and that number doesnt include the synthetic biology leaders: China and the U.S. Harvards George Church, who wants to create a mostly woolly mammoth by splicing preserved mammoth DNA with Asian elephants, has also declared an interest in splicing Neanderthal DNA into contemporary humans, and perhaps cloning a Neanderthal. But we really have no idea what will happen when genetically engineered organisms outcross with other organisms in the wild, also known as the world.
Towards the end of The Genesis Machine, Webb and Hessel present some futuristic scenarios: for example, the pamphlet Creating Your Child with Wellspring. Such flourishes might work well for business visioning retreats, but the results in print are weak. Webb and Hessel would be better off staying with the science and leaving fictionalizations of synthetic biology to Richard Powers Generosity (2009) or Margaret Atwoods MaddAddam trilogy (2003-13).
Too recent to have made it into The Genesis Machine is the attempt at the University of Maryland Medical Center to implant a gene-edited pig heart into a human, but Webb and Hessel do mention that Chinese scientists are developing super-pigs that are more virus-resistant, stronger and quicker to mature than the present models. Are we closing in on Atwoods 2003 fictional pigoons pigs spliced with human neocortical tissue?
Life is becoming programmable, say Webb and Hessel. Imagine a synthetic biology app store
Reinhold Kramer is a Brandon University English professor. His most recent book is Are We Postmodern Yet? And Were We Ever?
If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more.Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism.BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTERClick here to learn more about the project.
More:
Synthetic biology's past, present and future explored in timely new account - Winnipeg Free Press
- Pluristyx, panCELLa, and Implant Therapeutics Announce Definitive Merger Agreement - Business Wire - October 13th, 2022
- Johns Hopkins Scientists Have Developed a Nanobody That May Treat Parkinson's Disease - SciTechDaily - September 25th, 2022
- UMD students contribute to tech, health fields with summer research projects - The Diamondback - September 16th, 2022
- Pair of Hopkins teams receive $200K in technology grants - Maryland Daily Record - August 22nd, 2022
- RoosterBio and AGC Biologics team up to accelerate manufacture of cell and exosome therapies - BioPharma-Reporter.com - August 22nd, 2022
- Stem Cell Transplant Reverses Sickle Cell Disease in Adults - July 3rd, 2022
- LONGEVERON INC. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. (form 10-Q) - Marketscreener.com - May 15th, 2022
- Top Ways To Rejuvenate Your Body And Improve Your Well-being - The Southern Maryland Chronicle - April 19th, 2022
- BioCardia Announces FDA Approval of Its IND for NK1R+ Mesenchymal Stem Cells for the Treatment of Patients Recovering from Acute Respiratory Distress... - April 19th, 2022
- US is Out of Step on Primate Research With Rest of World - NewsClick - October 5th, 2021
- A Look Inside A Termite's Gut Wins The 11th Annual Nikon Small World in Motion Competition - PRNewswire - August 18th, 2021
- What really happened in Wuhan? - The Sunday Guardian Live - The Sunday Guardian - June 6th, 2021
- UMD Researchers Perform Crucial Proof-of-Concept ... - December 20th, 2020
- US gets more help in raging battle against COVID-19 as FDA authorizes Moderna vaccine, the second allowed for emergency use - USA TODAY - December 20th, 2020
- Sirnaomics to Initiate Phase I Study of STP705 in Treatment of Primary and Metastatic Liver Cancer | DNA RNA and Cells | News Channels -... - December 7th, 2020
- Trump was one of the first 10 patients to get an experimental COVID-19 treatment under special use - Yahoo News - October 8th, 2020
- New toilet, a VR camera and science experiments are heading to t - KAKE - October 8th, 2020
- ShoreRivers awarded DNR grant for two restoration projects - MyEasternShoreMD - August 26th, 2020
- CRISPR cows could boost sustainable meat production, but regulations and wary consumers stand in the way - Genetic Literacy Project - August 26th, 2020
- Over $8M in 2020 Stem Cell Funding Awards Continue to Fuel Marylands Leading Cell Therapy Industry - BioBuzz - June 24th, 2020
- Researchers develop nanoengineered bioink to 3D print functional bone tissue - 3D Printing Industry - May 27th, 2020
- 'Virus Goes In, Virus Goes Out': Advocates Call For Release Of More Low-Level Prisoners To Stem Infection Rate - Kaiser Health News - May 22nd, 2020
- What Do New Neurons in the Brains of Adults Actually Do? - The Scientist - May 7th, 2020
- David C. Karli is Offering a New Ray of Hope Through Regenerative Medicine - RESPECT. - May 3rd, 2020
- Could Innate Immunology Save Us From the Coronavirus? - The New York Times - May 3rd, 2020
- Watch: Hogan orders closure of bars, restaurants, theaters and gyms, restricts gatherings - Maryland Daily Record - March 22nd, 2020
- Dr Borehams Crucible: The small cap biotechs trying to make a buck from coronavirus - Stockhead - March 9th, 2020
- The Aussie Biotech Companies Trying To Make A Buck From Coronavirus - D'Marge - March 9th, 2020
- Organoids, iPSCs, and advanced cell models: Advancing discovery from basic research to drug discovery - Science Magazine - March 4th, 2020
- Maryland Stem Cell Center Consortium & Core Facility ... - March 4th, 2020
- Serving those who serve - The Hub at Johns Hopkins - November 14th, 2019
- BioLineRx Presents Preclinical Data From Triple Combination of BL-8040, Anti PD-1 and Chemotherapy Demonstrating Significant Reduction in Pancreatic... - November 6th, 2019
- VetStem Biopharma Shares the Success Story of Ole who was Treated with VetStem Cell Therapy by Dr. Holly Mullen - PR Web - November 6th, 2019
- Contrasting of Applied Therapeutics Inc. (APLT) and Neuralstem Inc. (NASDAQ:CUR) - MS Wkly - November 6th, 2019
- Reviewing Synthetic Biologics Inc. (SYN)'s and Asterias Biotherapeutics Inc. (:)'s results - FinanceMercury - November 6th, 2019
- Comparing of Neuralstem Inc. (CUR) and Allakos Inc. (NASDAQ:ALLK) - MS Wkly - November 6th, 2019
- Head-To-Head Survey: Intrexon (NASDAQ:XON) versus US Stem Cell (NASDAQ:USRM) - Riverton Roll - September 25th, 2019
- Analyzing US Stem Cell (OTCMKTS:USRM) and Intrexon (OTCMKTS:XON) - TechNewsObserver - September 25th, 2019
- Reviewing Intrexon (NASDAQ:XON) & US Stem Cell (NASDAQ:USRM) - Mayfield Recorder - September 25th, 2019
- Artificially Engineering Intestine - Mirage News - September 25th, 2019
- Prothena Corporation plc (PRTA)'s Financial Results Comparing With Neuralstem Inc. (NASDAQ:CUR) - The EN Herald - September 25th, 2019
- cord_blood - Maryland - September 14th, 2019
- Stem Cells and Type 1 Diabetes: What the Future Has in ... - April 24th, 2019
- Stem Cell Therapy in Maryland | Stem Cell Professionals - April 5th, 2019
- Meristem - Wikipedia - January 17th, 2019
- Stem Cell Therapy in Annapolis Maryland | Stem Cell ... - October 25th, 2018
- Stem Cell Centers - Towson > Stem Cell Centers - October 6th, 2018
- STEM CELL THERAPY - Orthopedic and Wellness Maryland - September 5th, 2018
- Patient Resources | University of Maryland School of Medicine - September 5th, 2018
- Stem Cell Clinical Trial | University of Maryland Children ... - August 17th, 2018
- Baltimore, Maryland Stem Cell Transplants, Montgomery ... - August 17th, 2018
- Nervous System Stem Cells Can Replace Themselves, Give ... - July 3rd, 2018
- Excellence in Stem Cell Research | University of Maryland ... - June 24th, 2018
- Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund: 2014 Awardees - June 24th, 2018
- Catholic response to stem cells - Featured Today ... - October 14th, 2017
- Free stem cell Essays and Papers - 123HelpMe - October 12th, 2017
- How Stem Cell Therapy Can Help Repair and Regenerate Your Body - October 12th, 2017
- How Stem Cell Therapy Can Help Repair and ... - Mercola.com - September 4th, 2017
- Science and technology to get boost from CRS-12 mission - SpaceFlight Insider - August 12th, 2017
- Cannon Scholars visit National Institute of Standards and Technology - Dover Post - August 9th, 2017
- Lab-Grown, Virus-Free Stem Cells Repair Retinal Tissue in ... - August 9th, 2017
- Roanoke researchers pursue treatments for the type of deadly brain cancer affecting McCain - Roanoke Times - August 3rd, 2017
- The Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF) | Tedco - November 25th, 2016
- Center for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine ... - November 14th, 2016
- Ginger | University of Maryland Medical Center - September 6th, 2016
- Johns Hopkins Team Creates Stem Cells From Schizophrenia ... - September 5th, 2016
- Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Neuronal Cells ... - August 18th, 2016
- Maryland Stem Cell Center Consortium and Core Facility ... - August 12th, 2016
- Human Stem Cells Institute - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - October 19th, 2015
- Patients' Own Genetically Altered Immune Cells Show ... - October 19th, 2015
- Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund: Funding Opportunities - July 2nd, 2015
- MRI based on a sugar molecule can tell cancerous from noncancerous cells - March 27th, 2015
- MD Stem Cells Release Optic Nerve Vision Loss Reversed ... - March 22nd, 2015
- TiGenix: TiGenix reports its full year 2014 results - March 18th, 2015
- Gene regulatory path revealed as target for therapy of aggressive pediatric brain cancer - March 10th, 2015
- American Spine offers experimental fix for pain -- Gazette.Net - January 28th, 2015
- American Spine offers experimental fix for pain - January 28th, 2015
- Toughest Breast Cancer May Have Met Its Match - December 9th, 2014
- Bid on Stem Cells and Alcohol-induced Tissue Injuries (R21 ... - November 12th, 2014
- Head, National Institutes of Health Stem Cell Technology ... - November 11th, 2014