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

MPs urge Government to review regulations for direct-to-consumer genetic testing

By Science and Technology Committee, UK Parliament | 06.22.2021

The popularity of genomics tests sold directly to consumers has increased in recent years, with products focusing on ancestry, health...

Genomics

In world of stem cell research, ‘UC Caucus’ reigns supreme

By David Jensen, Capitol Weekly | 06.21.2021

They could be called the “UC Caucus,” although that may presume too much. Nonetheless, they come from an institution that...

Stem Cells

How scientists are embracing NFTs

By Nicola Jones, Nature | 06.18.2021

From cat memes and music tracks to all manner of digital art, the bizarre, often quirky market for non-fungible tokens...

Society

Ageing process is unstoppable, finds unprecedented study

By Amelia Hill, The Guardian | 06.17.2021

Immortality and everlasting youth are the stuff of myths, according to new research which may finally end the eternal debate...

Genomics

ISSCR guidelines fudge heritable human-genome editing

By Françoise Baylis, Nature | 06.15.2021

I note troubling inconsistencies in the revised guidelines for stem-cell research and clinical translation, issued in May by the International...

Stem Cells

Forensic database challenged over ethics of DNA holdings

By Quirin Schiermeier, Nature | 06.15.2021

In May 1999, a disturbing crime shocked the inhabitants of Kollum, a small village in the Netherlands. A local 16-year-old...

Bioethics

Clinical trials of germline gene editing: The exploitation problem

By Erik Malmqvist, Bioethics | 06.14.2021

Abstract

The birth of the world’s first genetically edited babies in 2018 provoked considerable ethical outrage. Nonetheless, many scientists and...

Human Genetic Modification

A new age of genetic screening is coming — and we don’t have any rules for it

By Dalton Conley, The Washington Post | 06.14.2021

After the coronavirus baby bust is over and fertility clinics are booming again, increasing numbers of new parents will bring...

Genetic Selection