Biopolitical Times

The Center for Genetics and Society blog highlights the latest developments in the social, political, and ethical implications of human biotechnologies, with contributions from staff, fellows, consultants, and guest authors.

Blue text on pale blue background, "Social Justice and Human Rights Principles for Global Deliberation on Heritable Human Genome Editing by the Gender Justice and Disability Rights Coalition"

Groundbreaking principles on heritable genome editing bring social justice voices to the fore

By Emily Galpern, Guest Contributor | 02.14.2024

CGS’ Gender Justice and Disability Rights Coalition has just released Social Justice and Human Rights Principles for Global Deliberations on Heritable Genome Editing. The Principles explicitly center gender justice, disability rights, and human rights in deliberations addressing heritable genome editing, an arena that has largely been the purview of scientists and bioethicists. The Principles have been endorsed by more than 70 individuals and organizations from around the world.

Heritable genome editing – using CRISPR or other tools to alter...

Global Governance

Germline Editing: Made in Germany?

By Isabelle Bartram, Guest Contributor | 03.13.2024

Biopolitical Times

Note: This article was originally published in February 2024 in issue 268 of the German-language journal Der Gen-ethische Informationsdienst (GID). It is also part of an English-language dossier on Heritable Human Genome Editing published at the same time. Minor edits have been made.

Calls for German embryo research

Pressure on the German Embryo Protection Act is growing. The scientific community is launching a renewed attack on the controversial law and demands access to embryos for so-called high-ranking research objectives. "Germline therapies" are...

Assisted Reproduction

Can 23andMe Survive?

By Pete Shanks | 03.07.2024

^{23andMe’s stock price since late 2020}

23andMe, the first-off-the-blocks personal genomics company, has been struggling lately. In October, there were reports of a massive data breach focusing on 999,999 people with Ashkenazi heritage. The company eventually admitted that hackers had...

U.S. Federal

Transhumanism in Practice: Don’t Do It

By Pete Shanks | 02.13.2024

^{Screenshot from}^{1988 SNL skit}

Modern transhumanists can be remarkably absurd. Case in point: the Enhanced Games. Peter Thiel and two other venture capitalists, Christian Angermayer and Balaji Srinivasan, are now funding “the Olympics of the future.” The...

A "Post-Human" Future?

Biopolitical Times

Groundbreaking principles on heritable genome editing bring social justice voices to the fore

Germline Editing: Made in Germany?

Calls for German embryo research

Can 23andMe Survive?

Transhumanism in Practice: Don’t Do It

ACMG: Do Not Use Polygenic Risk Scores for Embryo Selection

Dispatch from the Gene Editing Summit

The UK Campaign to Legalize Germline Gene Editing

On Safety in Engineering Embryos: Engage the Brakes

Spotlighting Social Justice Before the Gene Editing Summit

A Sandbox for Designer Babies?

End of an Error?

The transhumanist philosopher, Silicon Valley money, and lab-made gametes