The Code Breaker -- Young Readers Edition
Jennifer Doudna and the Race to Understand Our Genetic Code
By Walter Isaacson
Read by Kathe Mazur
Table of Contents
About The Book
Walter Isaacson’s #1 New York Times bestselling history of our third scientific revolution: CRISPR, gene editing, and the quest to understand the code of life itself, is now adapted for young readers!
When Jennifer Doudna was a sixth grader in Hilo, Hawaii, she came home from school one afternoon and found a book on her bed. It was The Double Helix, James Watson’s account of how he and Francis Crick had discovered the structure of DNA, the spiral-staircase molecule that carries the genetic instruction code for all forms of life.
This book guided Jennifer Doudna to focus her studies not on DNA, but on what seemed to take a backseat in biochemistry: figuring out the structure of RNA, a closely related molecule that enables the genetic instructions coded in DNA to express themselves. Doudna became an expert in determining the shapes and structures of these RNA molecules—an expertise that led her to develop a revolutionary new technique that could edit human genes.
Today gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR are already being used to eliminate simple genetic defects that cause disorders such as Tay-Sachs and sickle cell anemia. For now, however, Jennifer and her team are being deployed against our most immediate threat—the coronavirus—and you have just been given a front row seat to that race.
When Jennifer Doudna was a sixth grader in Hilo, Hawaii, she came home from school one afternoon and found a book on her bed. It was The Double Helix, James Watson’s account of how he and Francis Crick had discovered the structure of DNA, the spiral-staircase molecule that carries the genetic instruction code for all forms of life.
This book guided Jennifer Doudna to focus her studies not on DNA, but on what seemed to take a backseat in biochemistry: figuring out the structure of RNA, a closely related molecule that enables the genetic instructions coded in DNA to express themselves. Doudna became an expert in determining the shapes and structures of these RNA molecules—an expertise that led her to develop a revolutionary new technique that could edit human genes.
Today gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR are already being used to eliminate simple genetic defects that cause disorders such as Tay-Sachs and sickle cell anemia. For now, however, Jennifer and her team are being deployed against our most immediate threat—the coronavirus—and you have just been given a front row seat to that race.
About The Reader
Kathe Mazur
Why We Love It
“An accessible look at the science behind our genetic makeup, its relevance to the current pandemic, and a female badass whose been leading the charge and will be an inspiration to all who pick this book up.”
—Krista V., Senior Editor, on The Code Breaker
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (April 26, 2022)
- Runtime: 7 hours and 38 minutes
- ISBN13: 9781797147314
- Ages: 10 - 99
Awards and Honors
- CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book
- CBC/NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): The Code Breaker -- Young Readers Edition Unabridged Audio Download 9781797147314
- Author Photo (jpg): Walter Isaacson No credit(0.1 MB)
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