The Center for Genetics and Society brings social justice and human rights to the center of public and policy discussions about human genetics and assisted reproduction.

Featured

The Global Economy of Human Eggs: An interview with Diane Tober

By Gabriele Pichlhofer and Tino Plümecke, Guest Contributors | 03.25.2026
Biopolitical Times

A German translation of this interview will be published in May 2026 in the German GID MAGAZIN, which focuses on the market for reproductive technologies. For more information, visit: Gen-ethisches Netzwerk
 

Egg donation is currently prohibited in Germany and Switzerland, but both countries have been debating its legalization for years. In Switzerland, a legal framework is currently being developed, with a first draft expected by the end of the year. Yet the debate rarely draws on scientific evidence. Instead...

Other Countries

Surrogacy goes more mainstream

By Carly Mallenbaum, Axios [cites Emily Galpern] | 03.29.2026

Aggregated News

More Americans are turning to surrogacy to build their families, as the practice becomes more common and more publicly discussed.

Why it matters: As surrogacy becomes more visible and accessible, ethical, legal and cultural tensions become harder to ignore...

U.S. Federal

Public Health, Vaccines and Modern Eugenics

By Pete Shanks | 02.27.2026
Biopolitical Times

Last month, we published “The Shameful Legacy of Tuskegee” which focused on a proposed experiment in Guinea-Bissau. The...

Bioethics

Eugenics and the Modern Synthesis, Part II

By Jessica Riskin, Los Ángeles Review of Books | 03.24.2026

Aggregated News

 

This is the second part of the 14th installment in the Legacies of Eugenics series, which features essays by...

Bioethics

Biopolitical Times

‘I didn’t come here to get rich’: new research on the lives of Ukrainian women in Georgia’s surrogacy boom

By Olga Oleinikova, Medea Badashvili, and Polina Vlasenko | 04.23.2026

“I didn’t come here to get rich. I came because I had no other way to keep my son safe...

Other Countries

Serial Entrepreneur and “Frankenstein’s” Ex Launches (Another) New Germline Editing Startup

By Pete Shanks | 03.26.2026

Cathy Tie seems to be good at starting businesses but not so dedicated to maintaining them. CGS, like many others...

Policies

The Global Economy of Human Eggs: An interview with Diane Tober

By Gabriele Pichlhofer and Tino Plümecke, Guest Contributors | 03.25.2026

A German translation of this interview will be published in May 2026 in the German GID MAGAZIN, which focuses on...

Other Countries

News

"Tecnoeugenesia", el plan dentro del movimiento neoconservador para aplicar ingeniería genética poblacional

By Miguel Muñoz, Cadena SER | 08.04.2026

"Para ellos, una familia numerosa no solo es una preferencia personal, sino que es una obligación. Creen que tener tantos hijos como sea posible es necesario para evitar un futuro apocalíptico", aseguraba Xavier Orri, periodista y cofundador de Página Internacional...

Genetic Selection

Sam Altman’s Dangerous Singularity Delusions

By Emile P. Torres, Truthdig | 04.27.2026

The CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, is on a messianic mission to bring about the singularity, the moment at which artificial intelligence begins to self-improve. If AI is smart enough to build the next generation of even smarter AI...

Society

Ces start-up qui rêvent de créer des bébés génétiquement modifiés: “Le fantasme d’un humain amélioré, sans maladies, super-performant, super-intelligent”

By Alexandre Piquard, Le Monde [cites CGS’ Katie Hasson] | 04.27.2026

"Si on en prouve la sûreté, nous croyons que l’édition préventive du génome pourrait être l’une des technologies de santé les plus importantes du siècle. » Lucas Harrington explique ainsi le but de son entreprise Preventive : créer des bébés génétiquement modifiés...

Human Genetic Modification

Designer Baby Companies Are in Turmoil

By Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe, Wired | 04.24.2026

TWO COMPANIES THAT launched last year with plans to create gene-edited babies have already shut down, citing money issues and internal conflict.

One of them, Manhattan Genomics of New York, closed abruptly shortly after announcing a team of scientific advisers...

Human Genetic Modification

Video
Reproduction and Family Formation: The State and the Market
Use Gene Editing to Make Better Babies | Debate | Intelligence Squared U.S.
The 'Perfect' Baby?: The Dangers of Gene Editing in Assisted Reproduction