The resulting crop could be more sustainable than current varieties — Reengineering Life is a column from Future Human about the ways humans are using biology to reprogram our bodies and the world around us. Thanks to selective breeding over the course of some 9,000 years, humans were able to transform an ancient wild grass with dinky cobs and a handful…

It would provide a first-line defense against the virus — Covid-19 vaccines are incredibly good at preventing severe symptoms and hospitalization, but they’re probably less effective at stopping transmission. To do that, we might need a different kind of vaccine altogether. Because SARS-CoV-2 is mainly transmitted through droplets and airborne aerosols, some scientists reason that a vaccine should provide first-line…

The research reignites a debate over embryo research — Reengineering Life is a column from Future Human about the ways humans are using biology to reprogram our bodies and the world around us. Under a microscope, the little balls of cells look like five-day-old human embryos, known as blastocysts. They’re similar in size, shape, and structure. They even have…

After we settle into a new normal, we shouldn’t forget the lessons of the past year — As I look back on the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, I can’t help but wonder why many of us weren’t more unsettled at the start of it all. In early January 2020, my editor messaged me about the reports of a mysterious pneumonia-like illness out of Wuhan, China. As…

A gene therapy injection eliminated pain in mice — Reengineering Life is a column from Future Human about the ways humans are using biology to reprogram our bodies and the world around us. In 2006, scientists described the curious case of a Pakistani boy who seemed immune to pain. The 10-year-old street performer amazed audiences by walking on burning…