Scientists have just used the gene-editing CRISPR technology to eliminate a family of viruses in pigs that could be transmitted to humans in transplants or other cases. This new gene-editing technology is here to stay and can profoundly impact genetics as we know it. It may also prove to be a way to eliminate the risks involved with animal-to-human transplants, which could save millions of lives every year.

Why are governments investing so much in precision medicine? Why are genomics companies like Illumina or Agilent Technologies, who many of us have never heard of, worth billions more than Snap, Inc or Twitter?