5.12 Gene Manipulation

If you could pick your child's traits, would you?  Do you think that this is something that should be allowed in society?

These questions are at the center of our work today and tomorrow.  In 2015, a team of Chinese scientists were able to, for the first time, change the genes in a human embryo.  They removed the genes for beta-thalassemia (a genetic disorder) and replaced them with healthy hemoglobin genes.

Please read the articles below to learn about the arguments for and against the development of this technology.  You can use this notecatcher to organize the information you get from the articles.


Gebreyes, Rahel. “Gene Manipulation In Human Embryos Provokes Ethical Questions.” HuffPost
Science. TheHuffingtonPost, 17 November 2015. Web. 2 March 2016.

Welch, Ashley. “Designer baby controversy: Scientists edit genome of human embryo.” CBS News. CBS News, 24 April 2015. Web. 2 March 2016.

“World's first genetic modification of human embryos reported: Experts consider ethics.”
ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 April 2015. Web. 2 March 2016.

Zhou, Jonathan. “UK Regulators Authorize Selective Gene Editing for Research.” Epoch Times. Epoch Times, 2 February 2016. Web. 2 March 2016.