Thread by @EricTopol

Genome editing with #CRISPR is the most important life science breakthrough of our time. It's a B.C. and A.C. We interviewed @WalterIsaacson about his new book, THE CODE BREAKER, which is a masterpiece medscape.com/viewarticle/95…
w/ transcript /1

We started the conversation reading 2 key passages that convey the significance of #CRISPR /2

And this one /3

The book is not just about @doudna_lab and other protagonists, such as @zhangf @geochurch @EricLander46, Emmanuelle Charpentier, but thru the perspective of grad students and post docs and about team science /4

There is substantial emphasis on the power of basic science, curiosity and creativity, and not just the linear model of discovery.
"They were doing it purely out of curiosity, like Leonardo da Vinci" /5

The links to the computer, digital, coding parallel advances are striking. Everything from the Homebrew Computer Club, the Asilomar conferences (there has been one for #AI), patent fights over chips, 0|1 vs ACGT, and so much more /6

Isaacson does a wonderful job differentiating germline editing, such as the reckless #CRISPR Babies work by Jiankui, to the remarkable progress in somatic editing
@davidrliu @skathire /7

For me, the most heartwarming part of the book was he how brought Doudna and Charpentier back together again.
The infamous @Zoom get together /8

I asked Walter about the importance of scientists playing a role in public policy, since that certainly was not Jennifer Doudna's background. His response is remarkably insightful (not shown here) /9

On the democratization of #CRISPR, Isaacson takes a bit of a contrarian view (from the life science community) in supporting the DIY work of @4LOVofScience /10

Both @cuttingforstone and I were so deeply impressed with how lucid he made such a complex topic & into a veritable page turner. I can't recommend it enough fo anyone wanting to learn more about this breakthrough— it will have transformative impact in medicine and science