Programming Life: The Future of Biology

Programming Life: The Future of Biology is a substack about the people and companies working at the forefront of digital biology, where programming organisms looks a lot like programming computers.

By Andrew Hessel

· Launched 8 months ago

Largely Unrecognized Near-Certainties In Our Future, According to Claude

Trend lines that are bending toward outcomes we aren't comfortable examining yet.
Jun 19 • Andrew Hessel

Chromosome 24: An Overview

A Conversation About Human Backups, Cloning, AI, and Continuity
May 28 • Andrew Hessel

Backing Up a Human: A Conversation with Andrew Hessel on Chromosome 24

An interview with the founder of Chromosome 24 on biological continuity, augmented parenting, and building an institution designed to outlast its…
May 24 • Andrew Hessel

The Blurry Line Between Dead and Alive

Some organisms don't mind being frozen or even freeze-dried.
Apr 7 • Andrew Hessel

This Might Be the Best Moment in History to Become a Bioengineer

The field is starting to take off big time.
Jan 28 • Andrew Hessel

The Nuclear Family is Failing

Parenting could use a rethink for today's world.
Jan 7 • Andrew Hessel

Looking Forward in Digital Biology

Some thoughts on the present and near future of life science.
Dec 29, 2025 • Andrew Hessel

Chromosome 24 Update

The next chapter begins.
Dec 10, 2025 • Andrew Hessel