Recently, embryo scoring has evolved. Laboratories can extract some cells from the fetus, look at its DNA, and screen for certain genetic diseases. The list of diseases is increasing. And now some companies are taking things even further, offering prospective parents the opportunity to select embryos based on characteristics like height, eye color, and even IQ.
This is controversial for many reasons. For starters, there are many factors that contribute to complex traits like IQ (a score that does not cover all aspects of intelligence at any cost). We don’t have a true understanding of those factors, or how selection on one trait might affect another.
Some critics warn about eugenics. And others note that no matter which embryo you choose, you can’t exactly control what your baby will be like (and why should you?!). Still, this hasn’t stopped Nucleus, one of the companies offering these services, from inviting potential customers to get their “best baby.” Read more here.
This article first appeared in The Checkup, MIT Technology Review Weekly Biotech Newsletter. To get it in your inbox every Thursday, and to be the first to read articles like this, Sign up here.
