The scientist behind “Gene-edited babies” reported missing
He Jiankui, the scientist who created the world’s first gene-edited baby using CRISPR-Cas9, has been reported missing. He was last seen on Wednesday at the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing in Hong Kong. CRISPR-Cas9 is a controversial gene editing system that allows scientists to edit the genetic sequence of an embryo. One’s genetic sequence determines the traits one has, and the ability to edit it gives the scientist control over a baby’s traits. While there are certain physiological limitations on how extreme these traits could be, the system allows parents to have “designer babies” with traits based on their desires.
The university where Jiankui worked has made a statement that “Right now nobody’s information is accurate, only the official channels are.”
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