For the first time, the CRISPR-Cas9 gene scissors can be used to specifically modify the genome anywhere. The intervention leaves no traces at all. A revolution in plant breeding and medicine - but also a potential risk for civilization, ethics and nature. The starting point was the research on scarlet fever bacteria by microbiologist Emanuelle Charpentier in Vienna. She discovered how these bacteria defend themselves against viruses with the help of a gene modification. Humans can now use this mechanism for therapeutic purposes. But isn't humankind also interfering with creation?

In their film, Kurt Langbein and Anna Katharina Wohlgenannt examine the risks of CRISPR-Cas9 - and the possibilities that arise when scientists alter the building blocks of life.