Summary

In Chapter 10, "Gain of Function and Dual Use: The Frankenstein Scenario," Osterholm and Olshaker discuss how disease research could accidentally go horribly wrong. They draw on the previous concept of microbial evolution to explain why laboratory scientists run experiments in which they try to mutate microbes to their worst potential forms. Researchers attempt to artificially recreate all the possible evolutionary steps already dangerous microbes could go through. Once they figure out what the biggest threats are, scientists can figure out how to combat them before they ever actually occur in nature. It is one of the few ways humans can get ahead of the curve in the evolutionary arms race. Research designed for beneficial uses, like the gene editing software CRISPR, could also be used to produce harmful, rather than helpful changes.

This brings up two main issues. One, what if something gets...