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cartoon showing a hand taking a tool to a double-helix of DNA to represent gene editing
WHO Releases New Recommendations on Human Genome Editing
The guidance comes after two years of consulting with hundreds of stakeholders, including indigenous peoples, religious leaders, patient groups, and scientists.
WHO Releases New Recommendations on Human Genome Editing
WHO Releases New Recommendations on Human Genome Editing

The guidance comes after two years of consulting with hundreds of stakeholders, including indigenous peoples, religious leaders, patient groups, and scientists.

The guidance comes after two years of consulting with hundreds of stakeholders, including indigenous peoples, religious leaders, patient groups, and scientists.

policy, ethics

photo of a researcher looking in a microscope fertilising an egg via intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
Human Stem Cell Research Guidelines Updated
Ruth Williams | May 26, 2021 | 5 min read
Removal of the 14-day limit for culturing human embryos is one of the main changes in the revised recommendations from the International Society for Stem Cell Research.
fetal cells, fetal stem cells, policy, Biden administration, Trump administration, NIH
NIH Reverses Limits on Human Fetal Tissue Research
Amanda Heidt | Apr 19, 2021 | 3 min read
A new ruling removes the requirement that grants and proposals using the material receive approval from an ethical review board, reverting to the process in place before 2019.
EPA Purges Trump Administration’s Science Advisors
Lisa Winter | Apr 1, 2021 | 2 min read
The agency says that to “reset” the advisory boards and bolster “scientific integrity,” more than 40 advisors appointed during former President Donald Trump’s tenure have been let go.
Respected Medical Geneticist Sir Peter Harper Dies at 81
Catherine Offord | Feb 2, 2021 | 4 min read
The Cardiff University researcher was famous both for his work on genetic disorders and for his documentation of the history of his field.
Panel Lays Out Guidelines for CRISPR-Edited Human Embryos
Lisa Winter | Sep 4, 2020 | 2 min read
The International Commission on the Clinical Use of Human Germline Genome Editing claims the technology is still too risky for therapeutic use.
China Is Using DNA from Uighurs to Predict Physical Features
Catherine Offord | Dec 3, 2019 | 2 min read
An investigation reveals that the government is developing technology to try to reconstruct a person’s appearance based on a genetic sample, raising concerns for the rights of Muslim minority groups in the country.
Selecting Embryos for IQ, Height Not Currently Practical: Study
Shawna Williams | Nov 21, 2019 | 2 min read
Building simulations based on real genetic data, researchers conclude Gattaca-like tactics to choose the traits of future offspring would yield little payoff.
Google Bans Ads for Experimental Medical Treatments
Ashley Yeager | Sep 9, 2019 | 2 min read
The new policy will increase scrutiny and pressure on stem cell clinics, according to industry experts.
Academia to FBI on Monitoring Chinese Scientists: “Tread Carefully”
Jef Akst | Aug 12, 2019 | 2 min read
Nearly two dozen higher education groups warn the government to be cautious when advising US research universities to keep an eye on students and faculty with ties to certain Chinese institutions.
Sweden government parliament Swedish research scientific misconduct agency board investigation investigate allegations
Sweden Passes Law For National Research Misconduct Agency
Chia-Yi Hou | Jul 10, 2019 | 2 min read
After several high-profile cases, the country’s government is creating a board to oversee and investigate all serious allegations of scientific misconduct.
Infant Monkeys Died in Accidental Poisoning at UC Davis Lab
Catherine Offord | Jun 18, 2019 | 2 min read
The seven primates came into contact with a dye that was used on their mothers, documents reveal.
nih funding spending bill house of representatives congress nonhuman primates research primate
Lawmakers Push NIH to Reduce Nonhuman Primate Research
Chia-Yi Hou | May 10, 2019 | 1 min read
A spending bill approved by a House committee would require the agency to “accelerate” the replacement of nonhuman primates in laboratories starting in October.
WHO Panel Calls For a Registry of Gene-Editing Research in Humans
Catherine Offord | Mar 20, 2019 | 2 min read
The advisors’ recommendations follow news of ethically dubious gene-editing work carried out by He Jiankui late last year.
Opinion: Ethical Boundaries Needed on the Uses of Synthetic DNA
John D. Loike and Robert Pollack | Mar 1, 2019 | 4 min read
A newly expanded genetic alphabet that includes four synthetic nucleotides highlights the need for strict boundaries on their use.
Scientists Raise Concerns About Revisions to Human Research Regulations
Katarina Zimmer | Feb 19, 2019 | 6 min read
Authors of a new paper take issue with revisions to regulations on biospecimen research enacted last month, and argue that cell lines should be treated differently from other biospecimens.
a rooftop and tower at Stanford University
The US Scientists Who Knew About CRISPRed Babies
Shawna Williams | Jan 29, 2019 | 3 min read
Multiple researchers were aware of He Jiankui’s clinical trial before the news became public in November.
two men carry large tusks over a beach
Genesis 2.0 Is a Beautifully Shot, Cautionary Tale About Biotechnology
Shawna Williams | Jan 2, 2019 | 2 min read
The documentary weaves together a hunt for mammoth tusks in the Arctic with scenes from the front lines of synthetic biology.
Bioethics Council: Gene-Editing Human Embryos Conditionally OK
Shawna Williams | Jul 17, 2018 | 1 min read
The UK-based organization encourages public debate about the issue but does not recommend immediate policy change.
Scott Pruitt Steps Down From EPA
Bob Grant | Jul 5, 2018 | 1 min read
The embattled Environmental Protection Agency Administrator resigns amid persistent questions about his ethics and use of taxpayer dollars.
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