Description
Book SynopsisIn Biology Is Technology, author Robert Carlson offers a uniquely informed perspective on the endeavors that contribute to current progress in the science of biological systems and the technology used to manipulate them.
Trade ReviewA thoughtful attempt to put what we think we know about biotechnology into a larger context, by a physicist-turned-bioentrepreneur. * The Economist *
Biology Is Technology is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand the current state of biotechnology and the opportunities and dangers it may create. -- Alex Soojung-Kim Pang * American Scientist *
[Carlson] presents an informative view of the future prospects for biotechnology and its regulation. -- Michael A. Goldman * Nature *
In this new book, bioengineer Robert H. Carlson forecasts the rise of the cell and the subsequent emergence of biological techniques for making fuels, synthetic DNA that builds new organisms, and reverse-engineered viruses for making vaccines. Biologists, Carlson says, are the new engineers, and the future is in remodeling life as we know it. * Wired *
Since Rob Carlson is
the authoritative tracker of progress in biotech, this book is the most complete—and exciting—chronicle of the technological revolution that promises to dominate this century. -- Stewart Brand, author of
Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist ManifestoCarlson clearly frames a fresh future for biotechnology. Each chapter, from technology trends to property rights and biosecurity conundrums, invites close reading and vibrant discussion. -- Drew Endy, Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, and the BioBricks Foundation
Biology Is Technology makes a tremendous contribution to public analysis of a very important emerging field. Although various commentators have discussed particular aspects of synthetic biology (e.g., risk regulation, intellectual property considerations), I am not aware of a book that encapsulates all of the varying strands of the debate. In addition, the book takes a set of provocative and interesting stances on the subjects that it addresses. It is obviously written by someone who has been a longstanding participant in, and commentator on, the field. Although I do not necessarily agree with all of the positions taken by the book, they are well-defended and thought through. -- Arti K. Rai, Duke Law School
Table of Contents* Acknowledgments * What Is Biology? * Building with Biological Parts * Learning to Fly (or Yeast, Geese, and 747s) * The Second Coming of Synthetic Biology * A Future History of Biological Engineering * The Pace of Change in Biological Technologies * The International Genetically Engineered Machines Competition (iGEM) * Reprogramming Cells and Building Genomes * The Promise and Peril of Biological Technologies * The Sources of Innovation and the Effects of Existing and Proposed Regulations * Laying the Foundations for a Bio-Economy * Of Straightjackets and Springboards for Innovation * Open Source Biology, or Open Biology? * What Makes a Revolution? * Notes * Index
