Genetic test aims to predict an embryo’s intelligence, height and health
Genetic test aims to predict an embryo’s intelligence and health
A new genetic test straight out of a dystopian sci-fi film aims
to let hopeful parents pick smarter, taller, and healthier babies.
Laurent Tellier, the founder of New Jersey
startup Genomic Predictions, used the 1997 movie “Gattaca” as inspiration for a
DNA screening method that scores embryos with risk estimates for
diabetes, heart disease, and other illnesses – and gives a report card on their
predicted height and intelligence.
The test is being offered to prospective parents
at IVF clinics as an add-on to standard tests that only screen for major
abnormalities, according to MIT Technology Review.
“Gattaca,” starring Ethan Hawke, imagined a
society organized according to the results of genetic tests.
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