Center for American Progress on GM Embryos

Posted by Jesse Reynolds May 29, 2008
Biopolitical Times
Sirine Shebaya at the Center for American Progress's Science Progress blog commented on the recent disclosure of the first genetically modified human embryos. While I missed her post a couple weeks ago, it remains worth citing now:
The potential rewards of this work are immense, but we should not scoff at the possibility that this kind of research could ultimately lead to the technology for creating babies with preselected mental or physical traits....

Scientists constantly emphasize that we are still a long way away from children with preselected traits. But declining to regulate research that could lead us to a point where such choices are possible is troubling precisely because we cannot expect individual scientists to censor themselves based on a concern for societal consequences. This is arguably not their job. Remember division of labor and how it increases efficiency? Scientists have a mission to explore and pursue the most promising avenues of research within the bounds of government regulations. Policy makers and legislators have a mission to figure out where the lines ought to be drawn. Whether we like the idea of “designer babies” or not, their possibility would entail quite serious public and societal consequences. Decisions about the issue have to be made not simply at the level of individual scientists and research labs, but at the public, societal level, particularly given the extent of moral disagreements on the matter.
The Science Progress blog covers a wide range of topics, and is worth checking out - particularly recent posts on the new genetic nondiscrimination law and conflicts of interest in medicine.