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

The End of Race History? Not Yet

By Osagie K. Obasogie, New Scientist | 12.14.2012

Have we gone beyond race? Many argue society has now overcome centuries of strife to become "post-racial" - a moment...

Bioethics

Appeals Court Backs Scientist in Pfizer Retaliation Case

By Lee Howard, The Day | 12.14.2012
Pfizer Inc. whistleblower Becky McClain’s legal battle to draw public attention to worker-safety issues came to an end Friday as...
Bioethics

Our Bodies Ourselves Goes to Nepal: Women’s Health Activists Discuss Cross-Border Surrogacy

By Judy Norsigian, Our Bodies Ourselves | 12.13.2012
In early October, I had the honor of co-leading a workshop in Kathmandu on the growing popularity of cross-border surrogacy...
Technologies

N.C. House will Consider Eugenics Payouts Again

By Patrick Gannon, Star News Online | 12.13.2012
The N.C. House will again pursue legislation in 2013 to compensate state residents sterilized decades ago by a state-sanctioned board...
Bioethics

A DNA Database in the NHS: The End of Privacy?

By Helen Wallace, Public Service Europe | 12.12.2012
The government has announced plans to sequence the whole genomes of 100,000 patients in the NHS. This means every...
Human Rights

Why Your DNA is a Goldmine for Marketers

By Carolyn Abraham, The Globe and Mail | 12.12.2012

David Pike prefers hiking holidays over seaside lounging, and personalized ads over random promotions. “Show me the trails of Madeira,”...

Arts & Culture

Is California's Stem Cell Program Preparing to Waste $700,000?

By Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times | 12.12.2012
If you're betting that the California stem cell agency will spurn key recommendations of a blue-ribbon review panel that criticized...
Biotech & Pharma

Genes, Patents, and Big Business: at 23andMe, are you the Customer or the Product?

By Adrianne Jeffries, The Verge | 12.12.2012
It’s been six years since DNA testing service 23andMe launched. In that time, about 180,000 people around the world have...
Patents & Other IP