‘Pandemic’ rings warning bell about gene-editing technology
Brooklyn BookBeat
When there’s a scientific breakthrough, Brooklyn-born Robin Cook doesn’t just stand up and cheer. He uses his fertile imagination and writes a novel about its possible perils.
In his latest medical thriller, “Pandemic,” Cook dramatizes the scary side of a miracle molecule called “CRISPR/Cas9,” which can easily be custom-tailored to seek out and alter genes in humans and animals.
The story begins when a seemingly healthy young woman with a transplanted heart boards the subway in New York City but suffers abrupt respiratory distress and dies before she reaches her destination.