Gene drives: the first book by a pioneer

Posted on July 7, 2025 by Anna Meldolesi

Italy has a strong tradition in malaria research, and it’s noteworthy that one of the most innovative tools to fight this disease in the future was developed with the crucial contribution of an Italian scientist. Andrea Crisanti has become a familiar face in the country due to his expertise in COVID-19 epidemiology and numerous TV appearances, first during the pandemic and later in his role as a senator. Yet his international reputation is more firmly rooted in a different field: the development of CRISPR-based strategies to eliminate malaria-transmitting mosquitoes.

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A must-read recommended by Doudna, Gates and…

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Anna Meldolesi

The Italian publisher did me the crazy honor of including a quote from me on the back cover of the best book of the year (IMHO), along with quotes from CRISPR inventor Jennifer Doudna and Bill Gates. The autobiography of Katalin Karikó, the mRNA vaccine scientist, is a must-read for those who love great science and great minds. We had already blogged about her in the aftermath of the Nobel Prize.

CRISPR 4 kids

Posted on April 20, 2021 by Anna Meldolesi

What should I be when I grow up? The DNA-tailor aka gene-editor is among the cool jobs of the future suggested by this book for children published in Italy. Explaining CRISPR to kids is fun. Wired did it in 2007, and the New York Times followed soon (see below).

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Inside the CRISPR saga

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Anna Meldolesi

What’s unique about this book are the insights into the relationships between the main characters of the CRISPR saga. The loyal friendship linking Jennifer Doudna and George Church. The growing distrust between Doudna and Zhang. Doudna’s sorrow that she and Charpentier have drifted apart, personally as well as scientifically. The last point is indeed a melancholic note in the Nobel-ending tale. Why did their friendship fall apart?

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CRISPR goes graphic

Posted on November 26, 2020 by Anna Meldolesi

No wonder “Editing Humanity” by Kevin Davies is good reading. The executive editor of The CRISPR Journal (and the founding editor of Nature Genetics) is really in a great position to tell the CRISPR story so far. But the book deserves praise also for its aesthetic qualities, i.e., pictures and graphics. I’m totally in love with the typographical character marking the start of paragraphs – there is a sign representing Cas9 in place of the conventional pilcrow ¶.