Mutant Ecologies: Manufacturing Life in the Age of Genomic Capital

by Erica Borg and Amedeo Policante Pluto Press 11/20/2022 SKU: 9780745344522   Critical cartography of the shifting landscapes of capital accumulation conjured by recent developments in genomic science, genome editing, and the biotech industry. Mutant Ecologies traces the spinning of new synthetic threads into the web of life. CRISPR crops, fast-growing salmons, heat-resistant Slick(TM) cows, Friendly(TM) Mosquitoes, humanized mice, pigs growing human organs - these are but a few of the dazzling new life-forms that have recently emerged from corporate and university laboratories around the world, all promising to lubricate the circuits of capital accumulation in distinct ways. The deliberate induction of genetic mutations is increasingly central to business operations in a number of sectors, from agriculture to pharmaceuticals. While the Nobel Committee recently proclaimed the life sciences to have entered 'a new epoch', the authors show how these technological innovations continue to