Scientific startup Heliospect Genomics is marketing a service that allows wealthy couples to screen IVF embryos for intelligence and other traits, raising ethical concerns among experts. This service costs $50,000 to screen 100 embryos.
of guardian report The US startup Heliospect Genomics is offering to help wealthy couples screen IVF embryos for intelligence using controversial gene selection technology. This was revealed through secret video footage. The recording, obtained by left-wing campaign group Hope Not Hate, shows the company pitching its services for up to $50,000 to customers seeking to test 100 embryos, and has already It claims to be helping some parents choose future children based on genetic predictions of intelligence.
According to the video, a Heliospect employee explained how the couple would rank up to 100 embryos based on characteristics such as IQ, gender, height, risk of obesity and risk of mental illness. The company says its predictive tools come from UK Biobank, a taxpayer-funded repository of genetic material donated by 500,000 British volunteers for projects “in the public interest.” It claims to have been constructed using data from
Selection of embryos based on predicted high IQ is illegal in the UK, but legal in the US, where embryology is less regulated. However, IQ screening is not yet commercially available in the United States. Leading geneticists and bioethicists have expressed concern about the moral and medical questions raised by the project, and questioned whether the public is being given sufficient opportunity to participate in the debate.
Michael Christensen, Heliospect's Danish CEO, envisions a future where genetic selection allows anyone to have a child that is “disease-free, smart, and healthy.” He speculates that the advent of lab-grown eggs may allow couples to create select embryos on an industrial scale. However, when contacted for comment, Heliospect said it does not condone such behavior.
Heliospect was granted access to UK Biobank data in June 2023 with the aim of improving predictions of “complex traits”, but the intention for commercial use of screening embryos was not disclosed, and the IQ Not mentioned. The company claims it has analyzed the embryos of five couples who are already “on the verge of having babies” and helped them make a selection.
The decision to give Heliospect access to UK Biobank data raises questions about the ethical standards that apply when granting access to research. Experts have suggested that UK Biobank and the UK government may need to consider introducing new restrictions to address concerns about pre-implantation embryo screening.
In response to the revelations, UK Biobank chief executive Professor Rory Collins said Heliospect's use of the data appeared to be consistent with the access conditions and that by making the data available, UK Biobank He said it allows for discoveries that would not have been possible using other methods. It is possible and could save lives and prevent disability and misery.
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Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering free speech and online censorship issues.
