The genetic code to all life on Earth, both simple and complex, comes down to four basic letters:

A, C, T and G.

Untangling the role that these letters play in life’s blueprint has allowed scientists to understand
what makes everything from bacteria to people the way they are. But as researchers have
learned more, they have also sought ways to tinker with this blueprint, bringing ethical dilemmas
into the spotlight. The Gene, a two-part PBS documentary from executive producer Ken Burns
airing April 7 and 14, explores the benefits and risks that come with deciphering life’s code.

The film begins with one of those ethical challenges. The opening moments describe how
biophysicist He Jiankui used the gene-editing tool CRISPR/Cas9 to alter the embryos of twin
girls who were born in China in 2018 (SN: 12/17/18). Worldwide, critics condemned the move,
claiming it was irresponsible to change the girls’ DNA, as experts don’t yet fully understand the
consequences.

“This moment heralded the arrival of a new era,” narrator David Costabile says. “An era in which
humans are no longer at the mercy of their genes, but can control and even change them.”