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

Give Cas a Chance: An Actionable Path to a Platform for CRISPR Cures

By Fyodor Urnov, The CRIPSR Journal | 10.18.2024

The field of clinical gene editing has a bona fide crisis on its hands—a crisis that has to, and can...

Genomics

‘De-Extinction’ Company Says It’s Very, Very Close to a Complete Tasmanian Tiger Genome

By Isaac Schultz, Gizmodo | 10.18.2024

Colossal Biosciences, a company mainly known for intending to genetically engineer proxies for several iconic extinct species, announced this week...

Animal Biotechnologies

The New Artificial Intelligentsia

By Ruha Benjamin, Los Angeles Review of Books | 10.18.2024

IN THE FALL OF 2016, I gave a talk at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton titled “Are Robots...

A "Post-Human" Future?

US startup charging couples to ‘screen embryos for IQ’

By Hannah Devlin, Tom Burgis, David Pegg, and Jason Wilson, The Guardian [cites CGS’ Katie Hasson] | 10.18.2024

A US startup company is offering to help wealthy couples screen their embryos for IQ using controversial technology that raises...

Genetic Selection

Testing for desirable embryos inconsistent and unreliable, new study says

By Tomoko Otake, The Japan Times | 10.17.2024

Screening embryos during in-vitro fertilization to select those with fewer genetic risks for common diseases and certain physical traits is...

Human Genetic Modification

Trump says he's the 'father of IVF' — and that he just recently learned what it is

By Dareh Gregorian, NBC News | 10.17.2024

^{"Donald Trump speaking with supporters at a campaign rally at the South Point Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada"...}

Policies

one DNA strand with a check and another with an X

Revealed: International ‘race science’ network secretly funded by US tech boss

By David Pegg, Tom Burgis, Hannah Devlin and Jason Wilson, The Guardian | 10.16.2024

An international network of “race science” activists seeking to influence public debate with discredited ideas on race and eugenics has...

Other Countries

Italy Criminalizes Surrogacy From Abroad, a Blow to Gay and Infertile Couples

By Emma Bubola, The New York Times | 10.16.2024

^{Photo of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni from CPAC 2022 con Hermann Tertsch y Victor Gonzalez by Vox España licensed...}

Policies