News

A Chinese scientist horrified the world in 2018 when he revealed he had secretly engineered the birth of the world's first gene-edited babies.

His work was reviled as reckless and unethical because, among other reasons, gene-editing was so new...

INTRODUCTION

Baby bonuses. Motherhood medals. Fertility tracking. You may have heard of these policy proposals as solutions from the Trump administration to help encourage women to have more children.

Besides falling short of ensuring that people have what they need...

Adapted from Mitochondrial DNA at
National Human Genome Research Institute

Recently, media outlets around the world have been reporting on...

A newly available kind of genetic testing, called polygenic embryo screening, promises to screen for conditions that can include cancer...

Close up of a hand holding a test tube and inserting a pipette into the tube.
By Stuart Leavenworth, McClatchy DC Bureau [Cites CGS' Marcy Darnovsky] | 05.29.2018

It markets its DNA kits with promises that tug at the heartstrings: Discover ancestors. Strengthen family ties. Understand your life...

A close up photograph of a male Japanese baby lying down on a bed in pajamas with eyes closed.
By The Economist, The Economist | 05.26.2018

The sterile façade of Kato Ladies Clinic gives little hint of the fecundity inside. Nestling among a plantation of high-rises...

13 sperm cells are illuminated in red and green against a black background.
By The Economist, The Economist | 05.24.2018

The effects of child abuse can last a lifetime. Neglected or abused children have a higher risk of developing all sorts...

Close up of several white chicken eggs.
By Emilia Benton, Popsugar [cites CGS] | 05.24.2018

I'm 31 years old, recently married, and on the fence about ever having children. I've never been completely against...

Black and white image of Dr. Frankenstein standing over his creation, a humanoid creature which lays strapped to a bed.
By Nova Wonders, PBS [Cites CGS' Marcy Darnovsky] | 05.23.2018

"It's alive!" Since Dr. Frankenstein spoke those famous words, we've been alternately enthralled and terrified by the idea of creating life in the...

A man in a lab coat and gloves examines a purple DNA profile.
By Tina Hesman Saey, ScienceNews | 05.22.2018

In Nevada, 40,000 people are stepping up to the cutting edge of precision medicine. They are getting their DNA...

Close up of a man's hands typing on a laptop.
By Michael Price, Science Magazine | 05.22.2018

A little more than a year ago, Jedidiah Carlson was searching online for a 2008 paper in Natureanalyzing hundreds...

Two women sit together at a table. The woman to the right, a genetic counselor, holds a sheet of paper containing genetic information and speaks to the woman on the left.
By Sarah Elizabeth Richards, The Atlantic | 05.22.2018

In hindsight, clicking on the email from 23andMe at 10 p.m., alone, on a particularly cold March night probably wasn’t...