Scientist's Claim of Genetically-Edited Babies Renews Ethics Concerns
By Michael Krasny,
KQED [features CGS' Marcy Darnovsky]
| 11. 28. 2018
A scientist in China announced this week that he had created the world's first genetically-edited human babies. In an announcement that shocked many, including scientists and ethicists, He Jiankui said he altered a gene in the embryos of twin girls to make them resistant to H.I.V. Forum talks about the future and ethics of using new gene editing tools like CRISPR to create genetically-altered humans.
Guests:
Marcy Darnovsky, executive director, Center for Genetics and Society
Dr. Fyodor Urnov, visiting researcher, Innovative Genomics Institute at UC Berkeley; former vice president, Sangamo
Dr. Alex Marson, head of UC San Francisco's Marson Lab
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...
