A visionary and exhilarating exploration of biology's next great frontier. Adrian Woolfson has written a work of astonishing scope and imagination, charting the convergence of artificial intelligence and genome synthesis. He takes readers from the foundations of molecular genetics to the threshold of a world in which we may author entirely new species, whilst reimagining human health. Bold, lucid, and deeply original, On the Future of Species is essential reading for anyone interested in the destiny of life on Earth and beyond

Tim Coulson, author of A LITTLE HISTORY OF EVERYTHING FROM THE BIG BANG TO YOU

The book we need right now; a clear-eyed, comprehensive look at how AI, gene editing, and synthetic biology are converging to give humanity unprecedented power over its own evolution. Part history, part forecast, entirely compelling. Woolfson guides us through the landmarks of molecular biology with the assurance of an expert and the enthusiasm of a born storyteller. He brings a rare combination of industry experience and literary skill to one of the most consequential questions of our time. Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand where genomic technologies are taking us

Tom Ellis, Professor of Synthetic Genome Engineering, Imperial College London

A brilliantly crafted, sweeping exposition with profound insights essential for any citizen of the twenty-first century

Tim White, Professor of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley

Darwin wrote The Origin of Species in 1859. With the emergence of large language of life models - artificial biological intelligence - it was the right time to envision On the Future of Species. Woolfson delivers that in this brilliant book, a very thoughtful and thorough assessment of the profound implications of editing and rewriting our code

Eric Topol, founder of Scripps Research Institute and author of SUPER AGERS

Scientists already know how to read the language of DNA and to edit it. Woolfson details the new frontier-writing new DNA scripts from scratch

Thomas R. Cech, Nobel Prize winner and author of THE CATALYST

A terrific read that will be interesting to a very broad audience. I particularly enjoyed the blend of engagingly narrated scientific history with forecasting the future. Adrian is absolutely correct that we are embarking on a new era in which humankind will be able to create completely new kinds of biology that evolution has never explored. This is both tremendously exciting and rather scary

Patrick Maxwell, Regius Professor of Physic and Head of the School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge