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.

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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
virus

Harbingers of Things to Come in Gene Therapy

By Josh P. Roberts, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News | 04.02.2021

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

It is one thing to anticipate what gene therapy will look like in 5 years...

Human Genetic Modification
The Code Breaker book cover

What Is It to Be Human Anymore?

By Michael Hirsh, Foreign Policy | 04.02.2021

This book is not for the faint of mind. Walter Isaacson is a great storyteller who has devoted his justly...

Society
sterilization protest with signs

Reparations for CA forced sterilization survivors: Support AB 1007

By Aminah Elster, The Daily Californian | 04.02.2021

Between 1909 and 1979, California forcibly sterilized over 20,000 people of color, people with disabilities and imprisoned people. Based on...

Civil Society
baby plants

“Small” changes made with gene editing cause severe deformities in plants

By GMWatch | 04.01.2021

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Gene editing causes drastic unwanted effects in gene-edited plants including severe deformities, a new...

Genetic Selection
capitol hill rotunda

Official apology for eugenics program moves ahead in Vermont Legislature

By Ethan Bakuli, Burlington Free Press | 04.01.2021

Photo by Joshua Sukoff on Unsplash

An apology letter intended to acknowledge Vermont's role in a program that sought to...

U.S. States
sickled blood cells

FDA approves CRISPR gene therapy trials for sickle cell disease

By Catherine Hsu, The Daily Californian | 04.01.2021

CRISPR genome editing technology, which was developed at UC Berkeley, has been approved for clinical trials to correct gene mutations...

Genetic Selection
A sickled cell

UC launches gene therapy trial to transform the treatment of sickle cell disease

By Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News | 03.31.2021

"Sickle cell disease (SCD)" by National Institutes
of Health (NIH) is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

A team of University...

Human Genetic Modification
phone with lock displayed

Your Face Is Not Your Own

By Kashmir Hill, The New York Times | 03.18.2021

Photo by Dan Nelson on Unsplash

In May 2019, an agent at the Department of Homeland Security received a trove...

U.S. Federal