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

The corrupting syndrome of the super-rich

By Anis Chowdhury, The Financial Express [cites CGS' Marcy Darnovsky] | 12.13.2019

At the start of this year (February 06, 2019), The New York Times published Farhad Manjoo's passionate opinion piece, "Abolish...

A "Post-Human" Future?

Men in kilts holding flags marching in the New York City St. Patrick's Day parade

The Dark Side of Our Genealogy Craze

By Honor Sachs , The Washington Post | 12.13.2019

This holiday season, millions of Americans will receive gifts allowing them to explore their genealogy and ancestry. People will give...

Genomics

illustration of a group of people from above arranged in a double helix

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

“Genetics just got personal.” So boasted the website of 23andMe in 2008, just after launching its DNA testing service.

As...

Genomics

A Year After the First CRISPR Babies, Stricter Regulations Are Now in Place

By Françoise Baylis, The Conversation | 12.10.2019

It’s been just over a year since the dramatic announcement of the world’s first genome-edited babies using CRISPR technology. Since...

Human Genetic Modification

a scientist handles genetic material with a pipette

A DNA Firm That Caters to Police Just Bought a Genealogy Site

By Megan Molteni, Wired | 12.09.2019

Just two years ago, GEDmatch was still an obscure genealogy website, known only to a million or so hobbyist DNA...

Genomics

The California Stem Cell Program's $5.5-Billion Funding Request Might Be Its Downfall

By Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times | 12.08.2019

California’s stem cell program, created by voters in 2004, has made great strides in advancing what’s known as regenerative medicine...

Stem Cells

biology classroom with a microscope and synthetic human brain and heart

Can Biology Class Reduce Racism?

By Amy Harmon, The New York Times | 12.07.2019

Biology textbooks used in American high schools do not go near the sensitive question of whether genetics can explain why...

Perspectives

Two Pigs Engineered to Have Monkey Cells Born in China

By Michael Le Page, New Scientist | 12.06.2019

Pig-primate chimeras have been born live for the first time but died within a week. The two piglets, created by...

Animal Biotechnologies