Weekly News

UK Scientists Allowed To Modify Human Embryos

Scientists hope to gain an "insight into the causes of miscarriage" by winning the right to 'edit' the activity of genes in human embryos for the first time in the UK. The license will allow Dr Kathy Niakan to take her research further. The embryos they will be using are going to be from couples undergoing IVF treatment who don't need them. The embryos used in the research aren't allowed to be implanted into women. The purpose of this is to "assist infertile couples and reduce the anguish of miscarriage". Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, with laboratories in Hertfordshire and London, rely on "CRISPR-Cas9" technology which allows scientists to edit genes very precisely and very cheaply.

Some scientists are worried what this will lead to, it might end up with genetically modified embryos being implanted into women; there will be unforeseen consequences of this later in life of children with edited genomes, additionally, this could lead to 'designer' babies in the future.

In my opinion, I think what they're trying to do is good but I think it will lead to some ridiculous outcomes, which will lead to people wanting to design their babies etc. I think that as long as they don't let it get out of hand, it will be a great advantage to our knowledge of biological science.