A scientist behind gene edited babies kept his job under the secret



[ad_1]

(Newser)

The Chinese scientist who claims to have helped bring the world's first genetically modified babies to the world has left much of his research secret in the pursuit of a broader goal: to make history . He Jiankui's heightened aspirations began to take shape in 2016, a year after another team of Chinese researchers sparked a global debate with the revelation that they had altered the DNA of the world. human embryos in the laboratory. He quickly decided to push the limits of medical ethics even further. This Chinese-born scientist trained in the United States has already entrusted his former advisor at Stanford University with his interest in gene-modified babies. Last month, he told the PA that he had been working on the experiment for over two years – a period during which, according to his own account, he has been hiding information from some members of the medical staff involved in the research, as well as his own leaders.

It took advantage of the poorly formulated and irregularly enforced regulations and generous funding available today in China, bypassing in some cases even local protocols and possibly laws. On the eve of an international summit on gene editing in Hong Kong this week, the 34-year-old scientist has amazed the world by claiming that he had used the powerful tool to "get it right." CRISPR gene editing to change the DNA of binoculars born earlier this month. His request could not be independently confirmed and was not published in a newspaper, but it quickly aroused the indignation of researchers and regulators. CCTV, the Chinese state broadcaster, reported on Tuesday that it could be the subject of a survey by the Ministry of Science and Technology, if births were confirmed. Meanwhile, the PA has much more about He, who initially followed a common path for scientists of his generation. But his career did not follow the expected scenario. (Click to learn more about his fascinating and controversial journey and the ambiguity of Chinese laws.)

[ad_2]

Source link