News

Chinese Scientist Who Genetically Edited Babies Gets 3 Years in Prison

By Sui-Lee Wee, The New York Times | 12.30.2019
In a surprise announcement from a trial that was closed to the public, the court found Dr. He guilty of forging approval documents from ethics review boards.
Human Genetic Modification

We’re Entering a New Phase in Law Enforcement’s Use of Consumer Genetic Data

By Nila Bala, SLATE | 12.19.2019
Genetic genealogy has ushered in a new era devoid of rules and regulations concerning genetic privacy.
Genomics

10 Years Ago, DNA Tests Were the Future of Medicine. Now They're a Social Network—and a Data Privacy Mess.

By Peter Aldhous, Buzzfeed News | 12.11.2019
DNA databases have become like Facebook for genes, driven by the same fundamental human desire to connect.
Genomics

When Might Human Germline Editing Be Justified?

By Jennifer M. Gumer, The Hastings Center | 09.26.2019
The unique benefit of germline editing is extremely limited in its application—a fact that must be emphasized in the discussions surrounding germline editing.
Global Governance
circular graphic representing a human genome

Should We Alter the Human Genome? Let Democracy Decide

By Krishanu Saha, J. Benjamin Hurlbut & Sheila Jasanoff , Scientific American | 01.15.2020

In November 2018, a Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, caused an international uproar by announcing the birth of two babies whose...

Human Genetic Modification
man in a business suit stealing money

Buyer Beware: A Maryland Surrogacy Agency Was Scamming Vulnerable Hopeful Parents

By Ellen Trachman, Above the Law | 01.08.2020

You might not have heard the news, given the holiday season, but the alarming case of a scam surrogacy agency...

Reproductive Justice, Health & Rights
Silhouettes of prisoners behind a fence.

The U.S. Government’s Mass Collection of Immigrant DNA Hints at Surveillance Future

By Emily Mullin, Medium One Zero [cites CGS' Katie Hasson] | 01.08.2020

This week, the United States government will begin collecting DNA samples from thousands of people detained by immigration officials, including...

Genomics
He Jiankui speaking at the the international genome editing summit in Hong Kong

Scientific Ethics and Gene Edited Babies

By Françoise Baylis, The Boston Globe | 01.05.2020

Three babies, three scientists, three years in jail, and a three million yuan fine. This is the story of He...

Human Genetic Modification
Photo of Françoise Baylis, a white woman with brown hair, smiling

Prison Sentence for Creator of First CRISPR Babies Reignites Ethical Debate

By Françoise Baylis, The Conversation | 01.05.2020

A month ago, there were countless commentaries on the one-year anniversary of the news that Chinese researcher He Jiankui had...

Human Genetic Modification
Black and white logo for The Hasting Center featuring the name and a silhouette of a tree

Chinese Bioethicists: He Jiankui’s Crime is More than Illegal Medical Practice

By Ruipeng Lei and Renzong Qiu, The Hastings Center Bioethics Forum | 01.04.2020

Professionals and the public in China first learned of the jail sentence of He Jiankui from the report of Xinhua...

Human Genetic Modification
Illustration of scientists constructing DNA

Rewriting Our Genes Is Easier Than Ever. That Doesn't Mean We Should Do It.

By Sarah Ruth Bates, WBUR Boston | 01.03.2020

Gene-editing technologies have huge potential to alleviate human suffering. But, like all very powerful technologies, they also carry enormous risks...

Human Genetic Modification
Artistic rendering of DNA being severed by CRISPR

Scientist Behind First CRISPR-Modified Babies Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

By Theresa Machemer, Smithsonian Magazine [Cites CGS' Marcy Darnovsky] | 12.31.2019

On Monday, a court in Shenzhen sentenced He Jiankui—the scientist who performed CRISPR gene-editing on twin human embryos—to three years...

Human Genetic Modification