Since the first discovery that our physical traits are determined by a four-letter DNA code, and since our first attempts to manipulate that code, the idea of genetically-designed humans has been a staple in the science fiction realm. But among biomedical researchers, the notion of engineering DNA in actual humans remained strictly hypothetical: while all agreed it was theoretically possible, the methods available were too cumbersome, inefficient, and limited to too few species (such as mice) to imagine a realistic path forward.

Until now.

A revolution in the nascent field of nuclease-based genome editing is currently taking place, and even the most skeptical researchers are now proclaiming that we will be regularly manipulating DNA in adults within a few years, and that the first genetically-engineered babies may be a reality within the decade. And unlike previous claims of world-altering advances which promised we would soon be flying in autonomously-guided solar-powered cars while receiving a massage from our personal robot, nuclease-based genome editing has already passed several previously-insurmountable hurdles: genetically-altered monkeys were generated last year, demonstrating feasibility in our closest biological relative. And astonishingly, just three weeks ago a group in China reported successful genome editing in human embryos.