and industrial applications, China holds more patents and has published more papers than anyone else.

Patents and papers alone do not make a science superpower. Other important factors include the backing of government organizations and educational institutions’ renown. Traditionally, US universities have drawn top scientists from around the world, but for CRISPR that seems to be changing. Chinese universities have successfully enticed Chinese gene-editing scientists to return from the US, and international scientists are immigrating to China to do their research. In its latest five-year plan, the Chinese government highlighted gene editing as a focus point and committed to easing the surrounding bureaucratic framework.

The country seems to be focusing its efforts on areas such as agriculture, human medicine, and basic research. A new gene-editing technology similar to CRISPR comingBlack Comedy – July 2014

We stayed in the Minerva for the interval after Miss Julie to see the set being changed. There was a lot to do; they had to move from the kitchen of a country estate in 19th century Sweden to an impecunious artist’s flat in 1960s London in fifteen minutes. The existing set was cleared, with some of the back wall sections being turned around to provide additional wall parts for the new set. The biggest item they brought on was a large piece of construction which had the bedroom upstairs and a screened off studio area underneath; getting this into the right position took some time. With that placed correctly, the rest of the set could be sorted out, which involved placing lots of