SCIENCE TALES

When we think about revolutions, we envision systemic changes on the levels of politics, economics, and lifestyles. We might think of the Steam Engine or Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto. We might also think of modern-day tech gurus like Steve Jobs and the iPhone, heralding the beginning of the digital age. But are we experiencing another revolution that might have the potential to not only change the way we live but also the foundations of our lives—our very biology? As new biotechnologies bring the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries closer to the goal of improving human health, increasing our lifespan, and replacing or enhancing our physical and cognitive capabilities, I explore whether the current developments in biotechnology have the makings of a new scientific revolution.

AI is everywhere—it brings hopes of accelerating industrial processes and making our lives easier and our work more efficient. It also brings fears of unexplainable black box calculations, of unintended consequences, and human job loss.

In the pharmaceutical industry, AI opens up the possibility of developing medications more quickly and tailoring them more precisely to the needs of individual patients.

But to truly revolutionize the multibillion-dollar process of drug development using AI, it requires the right strategies, technological foundations, and, above all, high-quality data.

In this keynote, I explore the potential of AI beyond the hype and draft scenarios of how AI-driven drug development could look like.

Gene Editing has the potential to cure genetic diseases like hemophilia with just one application. At the same time, the technology opens up the option of genetic enhancements, such as changing eye color to complex interventions to enhance intelligence. On the narrow line between healing and modern eugenics, scientists, politicians, and regulatory authorities are grappling with defining legal and ethical frameworks for the use of gene editing.

While aging and death may appear as a natural part of our existence, many scientists see the prospect of a life extended by decades or even centuries within reach. Billion-dollar companies like Altos Labs are attempting to find strategies to understand the genetic basis of aging and to develop medications and lifestyles promising a longer life. However, the end of finiteness would require a massive shift in human self-perception and societal coexistence.

Advancements in biotechnology—human genetic engineering, organs-on-chips, neuroprosthetics, de-extinction, synthetic food—are blurring the lines between science and science fiction.

How does real-world biotechnology stack up against science fiction scenarios from the de-extinction of dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, to genetically selected bio-elites in the movie Gattaca, and the cyborgs, mutants, and humanoid androids like the X-Men or the Terminator?

In this keynote, I explore what is possible, what is desirable, and what is scary when it comes to sci-fi biotechnology and examine where we stand on the science-to-fiction continuum.