(LifeSiteNews) — Billionaire investors are funding and seeking to create companies that genetically manipulate babies.
As the Center for Genetics and Society reported in an article from June this year, “advocates of heritable genome editing who command enormous financial resources are moving ahead with no regard for its safety, societal, or eugenic risks.”
One of the companies that seeks to genetically modify embryos in order to achieve certain desired traits in humans is the startup Bootstrap Bio, founded one and a half years ago by Chase Denecke and Ben Korpan.
According to Bloomberg News, the venture is currently developing methods for modifying DNA in embryos to create so-called “designer babies.”
The modification of embryonic cells to produce genetically modified children is intended to enhance desirable traits or eliminate hereditary diseases. These changes could also be passed on to future generations.
Among Bootstrap Bio’s early investors are Malcolm and Simone Collins, who are known for advocating for higher birth rates to prevent “demographic collapse.” The couple has been linked to tech billionaire and fellow transhumanist Elon Musk and has been accused of promoting eugenics. Their children are all IVF-conceived, with some of them reportedly being gene-selected for traits such as higher IQ. Simone Collins said they would consider using genetic editing for their own future children in an attempt to minimize health risks.
Bootstrap Bio may be planning to begin human trials for the “germline editing” technology in 2026 or 2027 in Honduras, where the company could avoid U.S. regulations. Genetic editing of embryos is currently illegal in most countries worldwide.
Another high-profile investor in embryonic gene editing is crypto billionaire Brian Armstrong, founder of Coinbase, whose net worth is estimated at $10 billion.
In an X post on June 2, Armstrong revealed that he was looking for bioinformatics specialists and gene-editing scientists for an “embryo editing” endeavor to combat issues such as genetic disease.
“I think the time is right for the defining company in the US to be built in this area, approaching it in a scientifically rigorous way, solving an unmet need,” the billionaire wrote. “About 400m people live with a genetic disease today, and this technology can have a huge impact on human health if done correctly.”
“I’m looking to invest in the right founding team if it comes together,” he added.
An article in MIT Technology Review notes that the ban on gene editing embryos in the U.S. could potentially be overturned, “especially if scientists can demonstrate a compelling use of the technique—or perhaps if a billionaire lobbies for it.”
Last year, Armstrong began to publicize his interest in “assisted reproduction.” He announced on X in December that he was hosting a dinner to meet engineers and scientists to work on “artificial wombs,” “embryo editing,” and “next-gen IVF.”
Multiple U.S. scientists in the field of gene editing attended the meeting, including Lucas Harrington, a gene-editing scientist who said the venture group SciFounders, which he is part of, is also considering launching an embryo editing company.
The proponents of gene editing claim that manipulating an embryo’s DNA is simpler and cheaper than treating sick adults.
“You fix the text before you print the book,” said Dieter Egli, a researcher from Columbia University. “It seems like a no-brainer.”
Numerous scientists warn against genetic editing
Gene editing human embryos is still highly controversial in scientific circles. In 2018, Chinese rogue scientist He Jiankui presided over the first official creation of three genetically modified children. The researcher subsequently spent three years in jail for illegal medical practices.
He is now trying to continue his work after serving his sentence. In June, he told the South China Morning Post that U.S. investors “were providing several million dollars’ worth of funding.” He also announced that he plans to relocate to the U.S. to continue his research, although the Chinese government reportedly seized his passport, preventing him from traveling.
Many researchers have opposed genetic editing of embryos or at least warned about proceeding quickly with its development.
In May, an international group of several scientific societies called for a 10-year moratorium on the practice.
“There’s vast, complex challenges with germline editing,” said Tim Hunt, CEO of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, who co-authored the proposal for a moratorium.
“It’s also unclear what is the burning medical need,” he added.
Many scientists and ethicists have warned that “germline editing” is unproven and potentially very dangerous.
“When you’re messing with the safety of babies, you want to be pretty confident,” Hank Greely, a Stanford University law professor and bioethics expert said. “We have no idea what would happen to the babies who are edited.”
Scientific studies have shown that so-called CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) gene editing can lead to extensive mutations and genetic damage, unwanted loss of entire chromosomes, and cancer.
