Fertility Frontiers: What Is a 'Permitted' Embryo in Law?
By Antony Starza-Allen,
Progress Educational Trust
| 06. 13. 2022
The question of what is a 'permitted embryo' under the legislation governing assisted reproduction in the UK has received increasing scrutiny as technological progress challenges the concept of embryohood. As illustrated at Progress Educational Trust (PET)'s event, 'Fertility Frontiers: What Is a 'Permitted' Embryo in Law?', the answer is not solely concerned with the scope of what is permissible in assisted reproduction but goes to the very core of the UK's legislative approach to emerging reproductive technologies.
Introducing the debate, Sarah Norcross, director of PET, highlighted that while UK fertility law gives confidence and security during scientific change, the definition of an embryo, introduced under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFE) Act 2008, is not fully scientifically aligned. Under the HFE Act 2008, an embryo for use in assisted reproduction must have been created by the fertilisation of an unaltered 'permitted egg' with a 'permitted sperm'. It must have no cells added to it from other sources or have its DNA altered (an exception exists for mitochondrial donation). Recent technological developments have, however, challenged...
Related Articles
GeneWatch UK has prepared a briefing on the genetic modification of nature for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Congress in October 2025
The upcoming Congress claims to be “where the world comes together to set priorities and drive conservation and sustainable development action.” A major concern for those on the outside is that the Congress may advance plans to develop and encourage the use of synthetic biology in nature conservation. This could at first glance sound like...
By Aaron Ginn, The Washington Post | 09.12.2025
Earlier this year, I had dinner in D.C. with Jensen Huang, the president and chief executive of Nvidia. At one point, he said something that struck me: “Why is everyone here so negative?”
He wasn’t referring to the economy...
By Roni Caryn Rabin, The New York Times | 08.25.2025
Scientists have dreamed for centuries about using animal organs to treat ailing humans. In recent years, those efforts have begun to bear fruit: Researchers have begun transplanting the hearts and kidneys of genetically modified pigs into patients, with varying degrees...
The Center for Genetics and Society is delighted to recommend the current edition of GMWatch Review – Number 589. UK-based GMWatch, a long-standing ally, was founded in 1998 by Jonathan Matthews as an independent organization seeking to counter the enormous corporate political power and propaganda of the GMO industry and its supporters. Matthews and Claire Robinson are its directors and managing editors.
CGS works to ensure that social justice, equity, human rights, and democratic governance are front...