The genetic code to all
life on Earth, both simple and complex, comes down to four basic letters: A, C,
T and G.
Untangling the role that
these letters play in life’s blueprint has allowed scientists to understand
what makes everything from bacteria to people the way they are. But as researchers
have learned more, they have also sought ways to tinker with this blueprint,
bringing ethical dilemmas into the spotlight. The Gene, a two-part PBS documentary from executive producer Ken Burns
airing April 7 and 14, explores the benefits and risks that come with
deciphering life’s code.
The film begins with one
of those ethical challenges. The opening moments describe how biophysicist He
Jiankui used the gene-editing tool CRISPR/Cas9 to alter the embryos of twin girls who were born in China in 2018 (SN: 12/17/18). Worldwide, critics
condemned the move, claiming it was irresponsible to change the girls’ DNA, as
experts don’t yet fully understand the consequences.
“This moment heralded
the arrival of a new era,” narrator David Costabile says. “An era in which
humans are no longer at the mercy of their genes, but can control and even
change them.”