Couple who had baby via US surrogate petition UK Parliament
A male same-sex couple whose daughter was born through surrogacy has launched a petition to change the UK's surrogacy laws...
Jen Willows
PET Science Editor
Jen Willows is the Science Editor at BioNews and at the charity that publishes it, the Progress Educational Trust (PET). Together with her fellow BioNews editor Dr Joanne Delange, she runs the BioNews writing scheme, which provides practical science writing training and experience for PhD students. Jen was previously the Legal Editor at BioNews and Projects Officer at PET. Jen originally studied Biology and Microbiology at Imperial College London, and went on to obtain an LLB in Law from Birkbeck University of London and an MA in Medical Ethics and Law from King's College London. She then started working at PET as a volunteer, before joining the staff. She loves tea, dogs, and living in London.
BioNews Articles by Jen Willows
Belgium to remove compulsory donor anonymity
Belgium's federal cabinet has approved plans to allow future donor-conceived children to know the identity of their sperm donor...
Image by K Hardy via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human embryo at the blastocyst stage (about six days after fertilisation) 'hatching' out of the zona pellucida.
Embryos implant in 3D womb lining models
Both natural human embryos and stem cell-based embryo models have been observed implanting in cultured models of the human endometrial lining...
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
UK boy with spinal muscular atrophy walks after gene therapy
A five-year-old boy who was one of the first in the UK to receive gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy is now able to walk. Meanwhile, pop singer Jesy Nelson has called for the condition to be added to the newborn screening programme...
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
Expanded Carrier Screening: How Is It Used? What Are the Ethical Implications?
The first session of 'What Does Genomics Mean for Fertility Treatment?' – the 2025 Annual Conference of PET – explored the growing use of expanded carrier screening...
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
UK couples sending embryo data to USA for PGT-P
Some UK patients are seeking preimplantation genetic testing involving polygenic scores, placing fertility clinics in an awkward position...
Book Review: Swallows
Swallows offers an imperfect portrayal of surrogacy but a thoughtful take on class, power imbalance and gender roles, according to BioNews editor Jen Willows...
Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family (from Greek and Roman mythology) entwined in coils of DNA.
ISSCR requires expanded oversight of embryo models, bans ectogenesis
The International Society for Stem Cell Research has expanded its oversight requirements for research involving human stem-cell-based embryo models, and has prohibited the use of such embryo models to achieve ectogenesis...
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
A mother's genes, if not passed on, could still affect a child's weight
The portions of a mother's genome that influence a child's weight can include genes not inherited by the child, according to new research...
Image by the University of Edinburgh via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts cells with organelles (colour-enhanced electron micrograph of cells, showing nuclei in green and mitochondria in red).
Healthy children born after mitochondrial donation in the UK
Eight children have been born in the UK following mitochondrial donation IVF. All eight children have made normal developmental progress, and none of them show any sign of mitochondrial disease...