Since the discovery of the structure of DNA heralded the birth of the genetic age, an entire vocabulary has emerged to express our growing command over the matter of life, from decoding and sequencing to manipulating and editing. Biology and biotechnology, scientists proclaim, are poised to rewrite the book of life.

Since the discovery of the structure of DNA heralded the birth of the genetic age, an entire vocabulary has emerged to express our growing command over the matter of life, from decoding and sequencing to manipulating and editing. Biology and biotechnology, scientists proclaim, are poised to rewrite the book of life.