On a Friday evening in late April, Cathy Tie, the Canadian serial entrepreneur and self-styled “Biotech Barbie”, was centre stage at New York City’s famous Carnegie Hall, performing Saint-Saens’ Piano Concerto No 2 on a gleaming Steinway grand piano, accompanied by an orchestra. Her floor-length pink tulle gown shimmered with gold sequins; her dark hair cascaded in waves over her caped shoulders. The music was passionate, but Tie’s expression was impassive - she wasn’t lost in the music; she was focused on the job. After the last notes rang out, she stood up, broke into a tight smile, and took a brief bow before returning to receive a slightly awkward Happy Birthday from the orchestra and auditorium. This was Tie’s 30th birthday party, and she had hired Carnegie Hall to mark the occasion. Most of the invited guests, including this reporter, had either only just met Tie or didn’t know her at all.
But Tie isn’t just a pianist with a flair for extravagant parties. She has always pushed the boundaries of gene editing, once attempting to turn horses into unicorns. Now she is set on modifying human embryos - something her controversial ex-husband was jailed for doing. “There is no way to stop this,” she says of her mission, apparently undeterred by the legal and ethical wreckage left by her predecessor.