HACKING THE GENETIC CODE FOR LONGEVITY

THE PRICE OF LIVING LONGER: CAN BIOHACKING CLOSE THE GAP?

- By Tamsin Mackay

The human body is comprised of approximately 37.2 trillion cells, and these cells are responsible for processing an astounding number of biological functions. Each of them contains DNA that governs not only basic functions but also responds to what you like, and what you don't. They are essentially supercomputers, constantly evolving, driving changes in human longevity and wellbeing. Now, AI is accelerating this evolution, but its unequal access and high cost are contributing to a growing disparity, especially in regions like Africa.

The commoditization of ageing isn't new. From basic access to resources thousands of years ago to the ability to use nanobots to fundamentally change the structure of your DNA today, access to the tools and services that slow ageing and improve health has always been tied to wealth. A fact that has never been more prevalent than today with wellness clubs that cost upwards of $10,000 a month for hyper-personalized services powered by data and AI. Imagine leveraging data and AI to create a digital twin of yourself to predict how your body will perform under different conditions, enabling you to optimize your health, reverse aging, and push your physical limits.

“There are two arms to this discussion,” says Per Ostberg, Futurist and Foresight Practitioner, to FORBES AFRICA. “At the moment, biohacking is more about people experimenting with their health in a less scientific way, while body hacking is where you go in and start enhancing bodily functions. This is the realm of gene editing and epigenetics.”

It is a realm that Dr Divya Chander has discussed at length, more recently at Singularity University in South Africa. She highlighted how the cost of genome sequencing has dramatically dropped from $100 million in 2002 to $1,000 today, and that this is potentially introducing an entire new dynamic and possibilities in biological innovation, and in fighting off the effects of aging.