News

'Superbabies' Startup Seeks Funds for Controversial Gene Editing Push

By Sophie Alexander and Ike Swetlitz, Bloomberg | 06.25.2025

A California-startup focused on genetically editing human embryos — a step toward creating so-called designer babies — is raising money as many of Silicon Valley’s ultra-rich turn their attention to one of the most controversial technologies in medicine.

Bootstrap Bio...

Patents & Other IP

Can doctors test embryos for autism? And should they?

By Brittany Luse, Liam McBain, and Neena Pathak, NPR [cites CGS' Katie Hasson] | 05.28.2025

A newly available kind of genetic testing, called polygenic embryo screening, promises to screen for conditions that can include cancer, obesity, autism, bipolar disorder, even celiac disease. These conditions are informed by many genetic variants and environmental factors - so...

Genetic Selection

Why Deleting Your 23andMe Data Is a Political Imperative

By Katie Sagaser, The DNA Exchange | 05.27.2025

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this piece are solely my own and do not represent those of my...

U.S. Federal

Trumpian “Common Sense” and the History of IQ Tests

By Pepper Stetler, Los Angeles Review of Books | 05.08.2025

"Donald Trump Signs The Pledge" by Michael Vadon 
is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

This is...

Society
jumbled, mismatched puzzle pieces

The Children of Sperm Donors Want to Change the Rules of Conception

By Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic | 10.15.2021

Photo by Hans-Peter Gauster on Unsplash

Damian Adams grew up knowing that his parents had used an anonymous sperm donor...

Other Countries

Cracking the Egg Donation Market

By Katherine McKeen, The Regulatory Review | 10.13.2021

“Earn up to $50,000 dollars!” “Help a family!” “Donate your eggs!”

Such slogans appear regularly on college bulletin boards and...

U.S. Federal
Mural with an image of Henrietta Lacks and short bio

WHO honors Henrietta Lacks, woman whose cells served science

By Jamey Keaten, Associated Press | 10.13.2021

"Henrietta Lacks" by Crawford Brian is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

The chief of the World Health Organization on Wednesday...

Global Governance
Hawaiian double hulled sailing canoe setting out on ceremonial voyage

Genomes Show the History and Travels of Indigenous Peoples

By Keolu Fox, Scientific American | 10.13.2021

Robert Cudney / CC-BY-SA-4.0

I am the proud descendant of people who, at least 1,000 years ago, made one of...

Bioethics

California's Multi-Billion Dollar Plan for Spending on Cell and Gene Therapy Is Nearing Completion

By David Jensen, The California Stem Cell Report | 10.11.2021

The 35 directors of the $12 billion California stem cell agency are scheduled to meet next week for a full...

Policies
Graphic of a test tube, DNA, and 5 people

Heritable human genome editing: Who decides? Science or society?

By Françoise Baylis, Journal of Medical Ethics Blog | 10.11.2021

Many describe the move from bench to bedside (from basic science to therapeutic or preventive applications) as a sprint –...

Human Genetic Modification
silhouette of a seated man with trees in background

‘Lies and trauma’: donor-conceived adults are still haunted by their origins

By Gary Nunn, The Guardian | 10.09.2021

Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash

Brendan Ritter, 22, recently discovered he was donor conceived.

When he was told, his...

Genomics
Placque-ridden neurons in a brain affected by Alzheimer's

The most common Alzheimer’s risk gene may also protect against memory loss

By Jocelyn Kaiser, Science | 10.07.2021

Photo by NIH Image Gallery on Flickr

A common genetic variant called APOE4 raises a person’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease...

Genetic Selection