John Fechtel at The New Atlantis:
Nucleus Genomics, a company offering genetic embryo screening, knew its audience. Its punchy campaign promised parents another leg up in the struggle for that coveted day care spot, with slogans like “Have your best baby,” “Have a smarter baby,” or, for those more interested in raising future Knicks, “Have a taller baby,” superimposed over portraits of smiling tots.
Nucleus is one of a wave of fertility startups making headline-grabbing promises about the insights they can glean from the genetic testing of embryos. A scientist at Herasight proclaimed last year that customers could boost their children’s IQ by up to 9 points. Marketing copy for Orchid Health asks you to contact them to “take the first step towards having healthy kids.”
The claims these companies make are largely underwritten by recent advances in genetic testing undertaken as part of the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process, where embryos are being selected in the lab for implantation into the womb on the basis of certain parental preferences.
More here.
Enjoying the content on 3QD? Help keep us going by donating now.