A human embryo model is a laboratory-produced collection of living cells that has some key things in common with real human embryos. They are made from pluripotent stem cells, which include embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells. This research is both exciting and ethically complicated, raising some difficult questions. Embryo […]
When it comes to coverage of stem cell research in the media, science news can both be cool, but also surprising. Some of the more interesting publications don’t always draw news coverage too. This post is a list of recent notable pubs and news. First some pubs. How good are human brain organoids at modeling
Recommended reads: stem cell pubs plus science news Read More »
With stem cells there’s always all kinds of developments and news every week or even every day. Here is an assortment in no particular order of some of the latest news including some across the spectrum including weird and sometimes stuff. The linked phrases are often the actual headlines of the media pieces. New CIRM
Stem cell news update: the good, the bad, & the weird Read More »
Something called the 14-day rule on growing human embryos in the lab helped keep a tough question in check for a long time: when is it ethically wrong or just practically unwise to continue growing a human embryo for research? There is no good answer based on science or anything else. ISSCR moves beyond strict
Risks rise as ISSCR drops strict 14-day rule on human embryo growth in the lab Read More »
By Guillaume Levrier Human germline editing has been done before. It will be done again in the future, as it is relatively easy to perform. No mechanism with the de facto ability to prevent it from being organized has yet been designed, let alone implemented. But the fact that germline editing has, can, and will
By Anna Everette The title of this article is partially borrowed from a fascinating Lightning Presentation delivered by John Doench of Broad Institute at CRISPRcon this year. In his talk, Mr. Doench pointed out how we’ve been looking up to this promising technology for a while now, hoping it will deliver the anticipated results (see
The Hope of CRISPRcon: Year 2, Guest Post by Anna Everette Read More »
I talked last year about human genetic modification by CRISPR with George Church a year ago. Now we’ve followed up with a long chat on this topic going into much more detail and with questions on recent developments. Each question is listed numerically and then there is a back and forth on that question with George
George Church chat: CRISPR people, Zika, weapons Read More »
I’ve written a new book on human genetic modification. This is my second book as the first one was Stem Cells: An Insider’s Guide, which is currently the top stem cell book on Amazon. The new book is called GMO Sapiens: The Life-Changing Science of Designer Babies. You can pre-order it here at Amazon or over here at my publisher’s
GMO Sapiens book teaser: time to talk frankly on human genetic modification Read More »
Later this May, I will attend and participate in Biotechnology and the Ethical Imagination (BEINGS 2015). This is an exciting and experimental summit that will focus on advances in cellular biotechnology – including both stem cell science and synthetic biology. The meeting is premised on the idea that the implications of increasing biotechnology power are
Biotechnology & the Ethical Imagination – A Preview of BEINGS summit Read More »