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

Controversial ‘Gay Gene’ App Provokes Fears of a Genetic Wild West

By Emily Maxmen, Nature | 10.29.2019

Joseph Vitti’s stomach turned when he opened a link an acquaintance had sent him. It took him to an app...

Genomics

masked researcher handles genetic material in a pipette

Ethical Red Flags Fly As Russian Biologist Pushes Boundaries Of Gene Editing

By Andy Heil, Radio Free Europe | 10.26.2019

Moscow biologist and DNA specialist Denis Rebrikov has spent much of the past year kicking a scientific and ethical hornet's...

Human Genetic Modification

Early stage human embryo under a microscope

Screening Embryos for IQ and Other Complex Traits is Premature, Study Concludes

By Jocelyn Kaiser, Science | 10.24.2019

Two years ago, news headlines began to appear about a development that made many human geneticists uneasy. A U.S. company...

Assisted Reproduction

New ‘Prime’ Genome Editor Could Surpass CRISPR

By Jon Cohen, Science | 10.21.2019

CRISPR, an extraordinarily powerful genome-editing tool invented in 2012, can still be clumsy. It sometimes changes genes it shouldn’t, and...

Human Genetic Modification

needle penetrating a cluster of blue cells

Russian ‘CRISPR-Baby’ Scientist has Started Editing Genes in Human Eggs with Goal of Altering Deaf Gene

By David Cyranoski, Nature | 10.18.2019

Russian biologist Denis Rebrikov has started gene editing in eggs donated by women who can hear to learn how to...

Human Genetic Modification

Photo of the Russian flag and a blue sky with clouds

Calling Embryo Editing 'Premature,' Russian Authorities Seek to Ease Fears of a Scientist Going Rogue

By Olga Dobrovidova, STAT | 10.16.2019

MOSCOW — Russian health officials are playing down international concerns that a Moscow researcher plans to create gene-edited babies any...

Human Genetic Modification

World map with a blue arrow indicating a market increase

How Big Is the Fertility Services Sector?

By Alison Motluk, Hey Reprotech! | 10.15.2019

Sometimes when I'm bored, I find myself Googling things like "value of global fertility services market 2019."

The estimates that...

Assisted Reproduction

Gloved hand drops liquid into a vial labeled CRISPR

Using CRISPR to Edit Eggs, Sperm, or Embryos Does Not Save Lives

By Tina Rulli, STAT | 10.15.2019

The startling announcement by He Jiankui almost one year ago that he had created the first genetically modified human beings...

Human Genetic Modification