Thanks to great strides in fundamental research, biology is becoming ever more programmable. Two recent scientific advances show just how powerful the possibilities could be. The genetic modification of plants is allowing the mechanism of photosynthesis to be tinkered with, as research published in Science on August 18th sets out. This could lead to dramatic improvements in the productivity of plants, and eventually to a second green revolution. Tweaking the genes of people who suffer from fatal incurable diseases, meanwhile, has also had remarkable results. A series of genetic therapies has arrived, or is arriving, in clinics to treat blood cancers, spinal muscular atrophy, haemophilia and sickle-cell disease. The task now is to spread these gains far and wide.

基础研究取得的长足进步使得生物学日趋“可编程”。最近的两项科学进步显示了其潜力可能有多强大。8月18日发表在《科学》杂志上的研究表明，通过基因改造可以调整植物的光合作用机制。这可能会显著提高植物的生产力，并最终引发第二次绿色革命。与此同时，针对绝症病人的基因改造也取得了显著成果。一系列用于治疗血癌、脊髓性肌萎缩、血友病和镰状细胞病的基因疗法已经或即将进入临床。眼下的任务是将这些成果推广开来。

The consequences of both advances could be momentous. The genetic modification of crops promises cheaper, more nutritious and more climate-resilient food for a hungry planet. Genetic therapies offer the hope of curing devastating diseases. They also allow for one-time treatments that can be transported to the four corners of the Earth, bringing years, decades or a lifetime of benefits to the seriously and incurably ill. Imagine a cure for aids or sickle-cell disease that could be taken to the continent of Africa or across the Middle East. The accompanying benefits would be similar to the eradication of smallpox.

这两项进步可能意义重大。农作物的基因改造有望为饥饿的地球提供更便宜、更有营养、更能适应气候变化的食物。基因疗法为治愈毁灭性疾病提供了希望，还能把一次性治疗带到世界各个角落，为重症和绝症病人带来数年、数十年乃至终生的益处。想象一下，如果治愈艾滋病或镰状细胞病的疗法可以推广到非洲大陆或整个中东，随之而来的好处将类似于根除天花。