News

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...

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...

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this piece are solely my own and do not represent those of my...

"Donald Trump Signs The Pledge" by Michael Vadon 
is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

This is...

Bottles of IVF hormones and a pile of syringes
By Catherine Waldby, The Conversation | 10.03.2019

I think they collected […] maybe, six eggs. I think we got four embryos out of that […] One was...

young man of color wearing a hoodie behind a cyclone fence
By Caitlin Dickerson, The New York Times | 10.02.2019

The Trump administration is moving to collect DNA samples from hundreds of thousands of people booked into federal immigration custody...

Book cover for "Altered Inheritance" featuring text and two difference colored eyes
By Adam Hayden, Science | 09.30.2019

With Altered Inheritance, bioethicist Françoise Baylis has authored a vivid call to action that “aims to bridge the divides...

black and white image of a human egg undergoing IVF
By Stepan Kravchenko, Bloomberg | 09.28.2019

This summer, after a Russian biochemist announced plans to follow in the footsteps of a rogue Chinese researcher and produce...

Photos of Stuart Newman and Tina Stevens and the cover of their book, Biotech Juggernaut
By Tina Stevens and Stuart Newman, CounterPunch | 09.26.2019

In September, California’s legislature passed AB 922, a bill legalizing the payment to women for their eggs for research purposes...

needle extracting a fertilized egg from a petrie dish
By Jennifer M. Gumer, The Hastings Center | 09.26.2019

Last month, an international commission convened to consider whether and how germline editing – changing the genes passed on to...

gloved hand holding a forensic DNA result
By Maura Dolan, Los Angeles Times | 09.25.2019

For decades, scientists have used ever-improving DNA forensics to help solve crimes and detect suspects in cold cases such as...

Image of He Jiankui
By Franҫoise Baylis, STAT | 09.23.2019

The hubris of some scientists knows no bounds. Less than a year after He Jiankui, a Chinese biophysicist, drew scorn...