Ep 61: Decoding CRISPR: Jennifer Doudna and the future of gene editing (with Walter Isaacson)
Photo by Patrice Gilbert
Jennifer Doudna and Walter Isaacson
What is CRISPR? Who are the key players behind it’s discovery? And what does it mean for science both now and in the future?
On this episode of Big Biology, we talk to renowned author Walter Isaacson (@WalterIsaacson) about his new book, Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race. We break down the rich history of the gene editing CRISPR-Cas9 system--from its initial discovery in bacteria to the current ethical considerations for using it in humans. We also talk about the life of Nobel Prize winning scientist Jennifer Doudna, who, along with Emmanuelle Charpentier, initially proposed CRISPR as a way to edit DNA and modify traits to fight disease. We then close with a discussion of what CRISPR-Cas9 means for the future of gene editing and just how far it could, or rather should, go.
Cover photo: Ernesto del Aguila III, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH