Creation Machine: New Organisms, Genome Editing, and Laboratory Hamburgers

Synthetic biology will transform our understanding of family ties, the aging process, the medicines we use, where we live, and what we eat. In this rapidly evolving field, utilizing computers to correct and alter genetic code, revolutionary solutions have already been developed — from mRNA vaccines and diagnosing congenital diseases in embryos to lab-grown meat that tastes almost indistinguishable from the real thing. It gives us a chance to tackle global threats — climate change, food shortages, and the energy crisis.

But it also carries serious risks. Is it acceptable to release genetically modified organisms into the wild? Should there be limits on enhancing the human body? What cyber-biological dangers do we face? Could an impending war using specially engineered bacteria and viruses lead to mass extinction?

Amy Webb and Andrew Hessel compellingly describe the present and future of synthetic biology, prompting us to reflect on the moral dilemmas associated with the purposeful construction of life and the grand perspectives it opens before us.