US Startup Sparks Ethical Debate by Offering Embryo IQ Screening

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A controversial US startup, Heliospect Genomics, is offering wealthy couples the ability to screen embryos for intelligence using cutting-edge genetic prediction technology. The company, which has reportedly worked with over a dozen couples undergoing IVF, markets its services for up to $50,000 for 100 embryos, according to undercover footage.

 

The company's claims include offering the ability to help parents select embryos based on predictions of higher IQ and other traits such as height, risk of obesity, and mental illness. In one recording, Heliospect representatives boasted their technology could result in an IQ increase of more than six points.

 

The ethical implications of such a service have sparked concerns among experts. "Is this a test too far, do we really want it? It feels to me that this is a debate that the public has not really had an opportunity to fully engage in at this point,” said Dagan Wells, a professor of reproductive genetics at the University of Oxford. Katie Hasson, associate director at the Center for Genetics and Society in California, echoed this sentiment, warning that such practices normalize the idea of "superior" and "inferior" genetics. "The rollout of such technologies reinforces the belief that inequality comes from biology rather than social causes," she said.

 

Heliospect has acknowledged that while selecting embryos based on predicted IQ is legal in the US, where regulations around embryology are less stringent, it is not yet a commercially available service in the country. In the UK, where fertility treatments are heavily regulated, selecting embryos based on traits like IQ is not permitted.

 

The company's CEO, Michael Christensen, expressed a more optimistic vision of the future, claiming that genetic selection could allow parents to have "disease-free, smart, healthy" children. Christensen also speculated on future advancements in genetic selection, including the potential for creating embryos on a massive scale to offer parents even more options. During a November 2023 video call, Christensen boasted that "everyone can have all the children they want and they can have children that are basically disease-free, smart, healthy; it’s going to be great."

 

The company's methods involve analyzing genetic data provided by parents through a process called "polygenic scoring," which predicts the traits of individual embryos. Heliospect also reportedly gained access to the UK Biobank’s genetic data, a resource funded by British taxpayers. While the Biobank data is only intended for use in projects deemed to be in the public interest, Heliospect claims their work falls within this scope, stating that they are in “stealth mode” ahead of a public launch.

 

The emergence of Heliospect's embryo screening services has intensified discussions around the ethics of genetic selection. While the company insists that it operates within the law, leading bioethicists like Professor Hank Greely of Stanford University have raised concerns about the potential consequences. “UK Biobank, and the UK government, may want to think harder about whether it needs to impose some new restrictions,” Greely suggested. Heliospect, however, stands by its commitment to scientific rigor and promises to address public concerns through education and policy discussions.

 

As the debate over genetic enhancement technology continues, the moral and medical questions surrounding embryo screening for traits such as IQ remain largely unresolved. For now, Heliospect's services are available only to a select few, but their emergence signals a future in which such choices could become increasingly common, raising difficult questions about the role of genetics in shaping human potential.

 

Based on a report from the Guardian 2024-10-22