Gene-Editing Pioneer Finds Home Among Texas Diner Regulars

Josie Zayner, CEO of a gene-editing start-up and former NASA research fellow, has found a new home in Austin, Texas. Unlike her previous experience in the Bay Area, she feels welcomed by the community at Bebo's, a roadside diner in Pilot Point.

The diner is a unique blend of Texaco and Coca-Cola signs, moose heads, eagles, Elvis impersonators, and large Donald Trump banners. Zayner appreciates the warmth and friendliness of the patrons, who she feels are more genuine than those in San Francisco.

Zayner gained notoriety in the 2010s with her gene-editing experiments, including splicing jellyfish DNA into her skin, injecting herself with a CRISPR solution to enhance muscle growth, and performing a fecal transplant to cure her chronic gut problems. She has since moved on from California and now resides in Texas.