The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race

Why was it more difficult for women to be scientists when Doudna was growing up? How are things different today?

Trace the evolution of Jennifer Doudna’s interest in DNA and RNA. How did James Watson’s The Double Helix contribute to this interest? Doudna was heavily inspired by Watson’s text. Has any book had a similar effect on you?

In your opinion, why was Virginijus Šikšnys’s paper rejected by Cell? Why was Doudna and Charpentier’s manuscript accepted? What makes their proposals different?

Explain the role and function of CRISPRs, as well as the CRISPR-Cas9 system, clearly highlighting the importance of each of its three components. How did Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna contribute to the discovery of the function of tracrRNA in different ways?

According to He Jiankui, his project of editing embryos to make them immune to HIV was justified since China has a huge stigma against HIV-positive individuals. Doudna disagrees, since the edits were medically unnecessary. Do you agree with Doudna? Further, do you think cultural norms play a role in determining when gene editing is medically necessary? Support your argument using textual and online research.

One of the criticisms of The Code Breaker is that it is biased in the favor of American scientists. Do you agree? Conducting textual and online research, give arguments to support or refute this claim.

What if Charpentier, not Doudna, was the protagonist of Isaacson’s narrative? Would the story unfold differently? In a few paragraphs, write your own version of The Code Breaker with Charpentier as the protagonist.

“People say we are playing God. My answer is: If we don’t play God, who will?” This quote from James Watson’s The Double Helix argues that it is scientists’ job to keep forging ahead with scientific progress, even if a technology seems “unnatural.” Do you agree with Watson’s statement in the context of gene editing of germline cells? Support your argument with examples from the text and your own research.