An understandable ethics outcry greeted the June announcement of a software platform that offers aspiring parents “genetic optimization” of their embryos. Touted by Nucleus Genomics’ CEO Kian Sadeghi, the $5,999 service, dubbed “Nucleus Embryo,” promised optimization of traits like heart disease and cancer resistance, as well as intelligence, longevity, body mass index, baldness, eye color, hair color and left-handedness. …
Critics worried that it “treats children as marketable goods.” More than one reference to “designer babies” and “eugenics” naturally followed. …
As professional bioethicists, we would have those same concerns—if Nucleus Embryo actually did what it claims. But it doesn’t.
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Nucleus Genomics says it offers customers the ability to engage in genetic optimization because the potential parents can select among embryos based on the genetic information that Nucleus Embryo provides. But that isn’t genetic optimization; no embryos or genetic material is optimized in some technologically innovative new way. It’s just old-school preimplantation genetic diagnosis of fertilized embryos, irresponsibly expanded to offer prospective parents the illusion of control over things like IQ and mental health when the science isn’t there to support the claims.