CGS : Inheritable Genetic Modification

About Inheritable Genetic Modification

The Basic Science

Frequently Asked Questions

Arguments Pro & Con

Mitochondria Replacement

Inheritable genetic modification (IGM, also called germline engineering) means changing the genes passed on to future generations. The genetic changes would be made in eggs, sperm or early embryos; modified genes would appear not only in the person who developed from that gamete or embryo, but also in all succeeding generations. IGM has not been tried in humans. It would be by far the most consequential type of genetic modification as it would open the door to irreversibly altering the human species.

Proposals for inheritable genetic modification in humans combine techniques involving in vitro fertilization (IVF), gene transfer, stem cells and research cloning.

Watch and Listen: Two Conversations about the Dangers of Genetically Modified Humans Biopolical TimesJune 12th, 2013At a live event and in a radio interview, developmental biologist Stuart Newman discusses what's wrong with proposals for inheritable human genetic modification.

Infertility Due to Old Eggs? An Anti-Aging Pioneer Ponders Solutionsby Melissa Healy, Los Angeles TimesJune 5th, 2013Scientists draw on advances across many fields to propose a way to rejuvenate aging human eggs using a woman's own ovarian stem cells.

How are Humans Going to Become Extinct?by Sean Coughlan, BBC NewsApril 25th, 2013Experiments in areas such as synthetic biology, nanotechnology and machine intelligence are hurtling forward into the territory of the unintended and unpredictable.

“World's First GM Babies Born”: 12-Year-Old Article Continues to Cause Confusionby Jessica Cussins, Biopolitical TimesApril 25th, 2013An undated Daily Mail article that is actually over a decade old continues to spread misinformation about human genetic modification.

Grandma's Experiences Leave a Mark on Your Genesby Dan Hurley, DiscoverApril 23rd, 2013Your ancestors' lousy childhoods or excellent adventures might change your personality, bequeathing anxiety or resilience by altering the epigenetic expressions of genes in the brain.

The Baby Blueprint [VIDEO][With CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]Al Jazeera EnglishApril 22nd, 2013Would you choose your child's genetic potential? Live debate with Marcy Darnovsky, Stuart Newman, Julian Savulescu, and Nita Farahany.

Lord Robert Winston Warning Over Child ‘Eugenics’ by Lyndsay Buckland, ScotsmanApril 11th, 2013A leading fertility expert warns that reproductive technologies could enable a form of eugenics with serious implications for the individuals involved and society in general.

Three-Parent Children in UK Possible After HFEA Report[Quotes the Center for Genetics and Society]by Michael Cook, BioEdgeApril 6th, 2013The UK fertility regulator's report to the government misrepresented its own findings about public opinion.

New gene therapy births 'designer baby' fearsby Gavin O'Toole, Al Jazeera (English)April 3rd, 2013Critics say the move would be the first step towards the creation of "designer babies" and herald a new era of "consumer eugenics."

New Technology Can Make It So 1 Baby Has 3 Parents[Quotes CGS's Marcy Darnovsky]CBS New YorkMarch 29th, 2013“People have characterized this as sliding down a slippery slope. This one actually throws us off a cliff."

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