Bi-national gay couples' children denied US citizenship
Two same-sex married couples have filed lawsuits against the US State Separtment after being refused US citizenship for one of their children...
News
Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false colour).
Human trophoblast stem cells cultured for first time
Scientists in Japan have cultured human trophoblast stem cells, which form the placenta, for the first time...
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.
US lesbian couple's parental rights upheld after sperm donor asserts paternity
A New York appeal court has ruled that a man who donated sperm to a lesbian couple has no legal right to demand a paternity test for the resulting child...
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.
USA announces $190 million for genome editing research
The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced its intention to grant US$190 million for genome editing research...
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.
China has treated 86 people with CRISPR genome editing
China has administered CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to at least 86 cancer patients, a new report has revealed.
First primate clones using 'Dolly method' created in China
Chinese scientists have announced the successful cloning of monkeys using the same method which produced Dolly the Sheep over 20 years ago...
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.
Parental genes influence their children through 'genetic nurture'
Parental genes can influence their children, even if the genes are not passed down at all, according to a new study...
Reviews
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts equipment used for embryo biopsy.
Radio Review: Surrogacy in The Archers
For some unknown reason rooted in the mists of time I am addicted to The Archers, the not-so-everyday story of country folk that has been running on Radio 4 at 7pm every day except Saturday pretty much for ever...
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.
Book Review: Selective Reproduction in the 21st Century
In 2012, social scientists representing 20 different countries and all five continents gathered to discuss the 'routinisation' and globalisation of selective reproductive technologies in Copenhagen, Denmark...
Comment
What's a bit of genetic interplay between friends?
by Professor Marcus Pembrey
The recent demonstration that friends share more of their genetic makeup in common than two people picked at random from their population has been making the headlines...
Hopes and dreams for the new law on assisted human reproduction in Ireland
by Fiona Duffy
The Minister for Health in Ireland on the 3 October 2017 disclosed a decision by Government to approve the drafting of a bill on assisted human reproduction (AHR) and associated research...