On the Future of Species - by Adrian Woolfson (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A bold and visionary account of how genome writing can help preserve the planet--but may also undermine human nature and disrupt ecosystems.

From a scientist at the forefront of synthetic genomics.

Imagine a future where we grow houses rather than build them. Where smartphones are alive, clothing has opinions and all human knowledge fits into a speck of DNA. A world where disease is a thing of the past and the human lifespan is dramatically extended.

To achieve this, says Adrian Woolfson, founder of the genome writing company Genyro, we must transform biology into a predictive, programmable engineering material. That means decoding the generative grammar of DNA: the language of life itself. We will then be able to author genomes--and, if we choose, even rewrite our own.

In On the Future of Species, Woolfson describes how we are at the cusp of a technological revolution, driven by the convergence of artificial intelligence and synthetic biology. Currently at the scribbling phase--writing the genomes of viruses, bacteria and yeast--we will eventually author the genomes of extinct and never-before-realized species. Life will become computable, detached from its past and no longer bound by Darwinian evolution.

While offering extraordinary opportunities, this power also carries great risk, and it is vital for everyone to understand what the future might hold. In this groundbreaking work, Woolfson provides a guide to this bold new world, offering a moral compass to help us do so safely, wisely and ethically.

Review Quotes

"A visionary and exhilarating exploration of biology's next great frontier. Adrian Woolfson has written a work of astonishing scope and imagination, charting the convergence of artificial intelligence and genome synthesis. He takes readers from the foundations of molecular genetics to the threshold of a world in which we may author entirely new species, whilst reimagining human health. Bold, lucid, and deeply original, On the Future of Species is essential reading for anyone interested in the destiny of life on Earth and beyond."
--Tim Coulson, author of A Little History of Everything From the Big Bang to You

"The book we need right now: a clear-eyed, comprehensive look at how AI, gene editing, and synthetic biology are converging to give humanity unprecedented power over its own evolution. Part history, part forecast, entirely compelling. Woolfson guides us through the landmarks of molecular biology with the assurance of an expert and the enthusiasm of a born storyteller. He brings a rare combination of industry experience and literary skill to one of the most consequential questions of our time. Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand where genomic technologies are taking us."
--Tom Ellis, Professor of Synthetic Genome Engineering, Imperial College London

"A brilliantly crafted, sweeping exposition with profound insights essential for any citizen of the twenty-first century."
--Tim White, Professor of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley

"Darwin wrote The Origin of Species in 1859. With the emergence of large language of life models--artificial biological intelligence--it was the right time to envision On the Future of Species. Woolfson delivers that in this brilliant book, a very thoughtful and thorough assessment of the profound implications of editing and rewriting our code."
--Eric Topol, founder of Scripps Research Institute and author of Super Agers

"Scientists already know how to read the language of DNA and to edit it. Woolfson details the new frontier--writing new DNA scripts from scratch."
--Thomas R. Cech, Nobel Prize winner and author of The Catalyst

"A terrific read that will be interesting to a very broad audience. I particularly enjoyed the blend of engagingly narrated scientific history with forecasting the future. Adrian is absolutely correct that we are embarking on a new era in which humankind will be able to create completely new kinds of biology that evolution has never explored. This is both tremendously exciting and rather scary."
--Patrick Maxwell, Regius Professor of Physics and Head of the School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge

"A fascinating read exploring the principles of biology applied to medicine from a different lens.. I thoroughly recommend it for all audiences, from students to healthcare professionals of all backgrounds."
--Professor Mumtaz Patel, President of the Royal College of Physicians

"In On the Future of Species, Adrian Woolfson explores the profound opportunities and challenges that arise when we turn evolution upside down - beginning not with random mutation but with deliberate selection. Woolfson's book prepares readers for the scientific, moral and societal dilemmas that will accompany such a transformation and concludes by outlining a framework - a scaffold for a manifesto - that humanity will need to deliberate as synthetic biology evolves.'
--John-Arne Rottingen, CEO of the Wellcome Trust

"A dazzling and prescient dive into the future of species, Woolfson explores the emergence of Artificial Biological Intelligence, capable of unravelling the genome's regulatory code. Our genomes ... and those of all creatures ... are riddled with "spaghetti code" hopelessly convoluted by accidents of evolutionary history, demanding an ABI approach that unlocks a brave new world of biological possibility."
--Jef Boeke, Founding Director of the Institute for Systems Biology at NYU Langone Medical Center and Leader of the Sc2.0 Synthetic Yeast Genome International Consortium.

"Woolfson explores the question that many biologists are asking but few can answer: where will AI-supercharged bioscience lead us? It authoritatively defines what a 'post-Darwinian' future could and should look like. A hopeful guide to the 'Brave New World' of AI-powered bioscience."
--Tom Ireland, editor of The Biologist and author of The Good Virus

"The past two centuries have seen two profound shifts in our understanding of evolutionary biology - the C19th realisation that evolution exists and the gradual unpicking through the C20th and C21st of the genomic mechanisms that control the development of living organisms. Adrian Woolfson set out in this book the fascinating notion that we could one day - perhaps quite soon - see a third revolution in which we directly tap into this genetic code to author entirely new biological species. The implications are profound, and I thoroughly encourage anyone with an interest in the natural world to read this important book."
--Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum, London

About the Author

Adrian Woolfson is the cofounder of Genyro, a California-based biotechnology company specializing in synthetic genome design and construction. He studied medicine at Balliol College, Oxford, and was formerly the Charles and Katherine Darwin Research Fellow at Darwin College, Cambridge, working at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Life Without Genes and An Intelligent Person's Guide to Genetics. He has authored over 160 scientific papers, book chapters, reviews and patents, and is a regular contributor to The Wall Street Journal and Science magazine.