Subject: Biopolitical Views & News: Regulating Surrogacy, Combating Prejudice, Opposing Inheritable Genetic Modification
From: Center for Genetics and Society <[email-masked]>
To: "Subscriber " <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2014 01:13:55 +0000

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August 7, 2014

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Talking Biopolitics ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s12938h6RivH )

Thursday, October 2,11am PT / 2pm ET / 18:00 GMT
Please join Charis Thompson ( http://womensstudies.berkeley.rsvp1.com/s1e8b9h6RivJ ) and the Center for Genetics and Society for Talking Biopolitics 2014 ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s12878h6RivK ). In this live web-based interview and conversation, Charis will talk with David Winickoff ( http://ourenvironment.berkeley.rsvp1.com/s12af8h6RivM ) &ndash; and with you &ndash; about her latest book, Good Science: The Ethical Choreography of Stem Cell Research ( http://mitpress.mit.rsvp1.com/s12bb8h6RivN ).

Celebrating Troy Duster (video now available) ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1eb79h6RivO )

Hundreds of Troy Duster's colleagues, former students and friends gathered on August 15 at Berkeley Law School for a day-long tribute to his myriad scholarly and personal influences, and to the continuing significance of his work for current and future challenges. Please see video ( http://www.kaltura.rsvp1.com/s12338h6RivP ) of the speakers and panel discussions, the event program ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1e2b9h6RivR ), and UC News coverage ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s12278h6RivS ) of the event.

Should We Open the Door to Genetically Modified Babies? ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s120f8h6RivU )

by Jessica Cussins, CNBC
There has been a lot of confusion around this controversial issue, but as we are now facing a historic crossroads, it is important to set the record straight.

"3-Person IVF" Debated in UK Parliament ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s121b8h6RivV )

by Pete Shanks
The debate in Britain over combining eggs or embryos to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial disease received a public airing, though no firm conclusion, in the House of Commons on September 1st.

An International Agreement on Commercial Surrogacy?  ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1e539h6RivX )

by Marcy Darnovsky
A three-day convening in The Hague brought together scholars, women&rsquo;s health and human rights advocates, and policymakers from 27 countries to tackle concerns about international commercial surrogacy.

"We're All One of Troy's Babies": A Celebration of Troy Duster ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s124b8h6RivZ )

by Victoria Massie, Biopolitical Times guest contributor
On Friday, August 15th, I was one among a multitude of people finding a seat in Booth Auditorium at UC Berkeley Law School for the event &ldquo;Celebrating Troy Duster.&rdquo;

Moving on from Nicholas Wade to Continuing Concerns about Scientific Racism ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s19b39h6Riw0 )

by Pete Shanks
Over 140 geneticists publicly criticized Nicholas Wade for distorting their work; but that is unlikely to stop such abuse permanently, and many issues still deserve airing.

Disability Will Never Be Immoral  ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s15ab8h6Riw2 )

by Jessica Cussins
Prenatal genetic testing can be a valuable tool, but it provides strikingly limited data. Events of this summer, including the abandonment of Baby Gammy and shockingly intolerant comments from Richard Dawkins, speak to the risk of conflating one type of information with a broader reality.

From &ldquo;the Dangerous Womb&rdquo; to a More Complex Reality ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s15838h6Riw4 )

by Jessica Cussins
Heightened attention to epigenetics, while important, also carries the danger of being used to place undue blame on pregnant women. A special issue in Science on parenting provides a more complex overview of parental and societal influence.

Britain will be considered a 'rogue state' if it creates GM people, MP warns  ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s198f9h6Riw5 )

Press Association
Allowing mitochondrial replacement therapy to prevent the birth of children with incurable diseases could lead to people being created for 'harvesting their parts'

Medical dilemma of 'three-parent babies': Fertility clinic investigates health of teenagers it helped to be conceived through controversial IVF technique ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s15978h6Riw7 )

by Steve Connor, The Independent (UK)
A private fertility clinic in the United States has launched an investigation into the health of 17 teenagers who were born as a result of a controversial IVF technique that produced the world&rsquo;s first &ldquo;three-parent&rdquo; embryos more than 15 years ago.

Troy Duster&rsquo;s Garden of Plugged-In Scholarship, and How it Grew ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s19df9h6Riw9 )

by Barry Bergman, NewsCenter
An overview of the CGS co-sponsored event to honor Troy Duster's landmark works on the racial implications of drug policies and genetic research, his role as adviser and friend, and his fierce activism.

Womb for rent: A heart to carry another woman&rsquo;s baby ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s167f8h6Riwa )

by Cecilia Okoth, New Vision
Imagine a woman desperately trying to get pregnant, but so far every attempt is unsuccessful. Would you be brave enough to &ldquo;get pregnant for her?&rdquo; Aisha Nansereko, a Ugandan woman, did. This is her story.

Thailand&rsquo;s Business in Paid Surrogates May Be Foundering in a Moral Quagmire ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1a679h6Riwc )

by Thomas Frank, The New York Times
The baby boomlet in Pak Ok was just one of several bizarre and often ethically charged iterations of Thailand&rsquo;s freewheeling venture into what detractors call the womb rental business, an unguided experiment that the country&rsquo;s military government now says it is planning to end.

Interpol Investigates 'Baby Factory' as Man Fathers 16 Surrogate Children ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s16438h6Riwd )

by Kevin Rawlinson, The Guardian
Interpol has launched an investigation into an alleged "baby factory" after it emerged that a Japanese businessman had fathered 16 surrogate children and expressed a desire for many more.

California Couple Shares Surrogate Story in Wake of Thailand Controversy  ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1a5b9h6Riwf )

by Beth Greenfield, Yahoo! Health
When news broke earlier this month about baby Gammy, many were shocked. But not Keston and Andrea Ott-Dahl, a San Francisco couple who had a similar experience right here in America.

Thailand to Ban Commercial Surrogacy in Wake of Gammy Scandal ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s16138h6Riwh )

The Guardian
Thailand's military government gave preliminary approval for a draft law to make commercial surrogacy a criminal offence.

Dreams of Children Shattered as Thailand Closes All IVF Center ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1a1f9h6Riwi )

by Lindsay Murdoch, The Sydney Morning Herald
Thai authorities linked the Bangkok clinic with a suspected international &ldquo;baby factory&rdquo; trafficking syndicate said to be behind at least 14 babies destined for overseas.

Will my Disabled Daughter have a Place in this Genetic Wonderland? ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s16078h6Riwk )

by Ian Birrello, The Guardian
Until society gets to grips with prejudice we cannot start to grapple with the profound questions that medical advances raise.

British baby Gammy: Surrogate claims mum refused to take disabled twin ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1a239h6Riwl )

by Ellen Wallwork, ParentDish
A British surrogate mother of twins has said the intended mother rejected one of the babies because she was born with a disability.

Misconception ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s163b8h6Riwn )

by Sarah Dingle, The Sydney Morning Herald
The discovery in her late 20s that she was conceived using a sperm donor was a huge shock to Sarah Dingle. But learning there was no possibility of finding out the name of her biological father was even more disturbing.

Vics to Get Sperm Donor Info with Consent ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s16b38h6Riwp )

The Australian
Victorians conceived through sperm donation will now be able to find out who their biological father is - but only if he agrees.

Career Women are Having &lsquo;Egg-Freezing&rsquo; Parties ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1abf9h6Riwq )

by Jane Ridley, New York Post
Dubbed &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s Chill,&rdquo; a first-of-its-kind &ldquo;egg-freezing party&rdquo; was sponsored by a company called EggBanxx, which is cutting the cost of egg freezing and marketing it to young go-getters.

Australia Could Recognise Multiple Parents ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s16a78h6Riws )

by Michael Cook, BioEdge
Adoption and new reproductive technologies are placing new strains on what &ldquo;parent&rdquo; means in contemporary society.

Gender-Biased Sex Selection an Extreme Form and Manifestation of Gender Discrimination and Inequality Against Women, Say UN Women and UNFPA ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1a839h6Riwt )

UN Women
The sharply declining child sex ratio in India has reached emergency proportions and urgent action must be taken to alleviate this crisis.

California Bill Would Let Birth Certificates Reflect Same-Sex Parents ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s169b8h6Riwv )

by Mary Papenfuss, Reuters
The bill, which now goes to Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, would allow parents to identify themselves as father, mother or parent when a child is born.

California Lawmakers Pass Bill Banning Inmate Sterilizations ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s16df8h6Riwy )

by Sharon Bernstein, Reuters
California lawmakers sent a bill to ban sterilization surgeries on inmates in California prisons to Governor Jerry Brown.

Society: Don't Blame the Mothers ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1bff9h6RiwA )

by Sarah S. Richardson, Cynthia R. Daniels, Matthew W. Gillman, Janet Golden, Rebecca Kukla, Christopher Kuzawa & Janet Rich-Edwards, Nature
There is a long history of blaming mothers for the ill health of their children. The latest wave in this discussion flows from studies of epigenetics.

Stem cell therapy a primitive art ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s17e78h6RiwC )

by Jill Margo, Financial Review
A loophole in Australian regulations means people can be given stem cell therapy for virtually anything, providing their own stem cells are harvested and then used in the process, But much can go wrong.

Stem Cell Therapy Rogue Operators Charging Thousands for Useless or Dangerous Treatment ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s17cf8h6RiwE )

by Louise Milligan, ABC
Rogue stem cell therapy operators are charging tens of thousands of dollars for treatments that are ineffectual or could even lead to more health problems and death, according to Australia's leading group of stem cell scientists.

Stem cell industry's 'huge development' in Bay Area ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1b939h6RiwH )

by Stephanie M. Lee, San Francisco Chronicle
Almost three years after Geron shut down the world's first clinical trial of a therapy using embryonic stem cells, a subsidiary of another Bay Area company is reviving the work.

Judge warns privacy of DNA at stake after ruling ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s178b8h6RiwJ )

by Ian Duncan, The Baltimore Sun
As Maryland's highest court upheld a rape conviction based on DNA collected at a police station, a veteran judge issued a stark warning about the consequences of the ruling.

Questions Raised Over DNA Evidence to Secure Murder Convictions ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s17a38h6RiwL )

by Candice Marcus, ABC
A High Court ruling that DNA evidence was not enough to convict a man of murder could have wider implications on DNA convictions across Australia.

Geneticists Say Popular Book Misrepresents Research on Human Evolution ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1bbb9h6RiwN )

by Ewen Callaway, Nature News
More than 130 leading population geneticists have condemned a book arguing that genetic variation between human populations could underlie global economic, political and social differences.

Not-So-Personalized Medicine  ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1b339h6RiwP )

by Howard Brody, Hooked: Ethics, Medicine, and Pharma
Personalized medicine may increasingly be useful in particular situations, but potential limits include false genetic determinism, high costs, and low predictive accuracy.

Cancer and the Secrets of Your Genes ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s173f8h6RiwQ )

by Theodora Ross, The New York Times
The recent discovery that mutations in a gene called PALB2 greatly increase the risk of breast cancer is one of the biggest developments since the discovery in the &rsquo;90s of the role of mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.

As Data Overflows Online, Researchers Grapple With Ethics ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s17038h6RiwT )

by Vindu Goel, The New York Times
It&rsquo;s the frontier of social science &mdash; experiments on people who may never even know they are subjects of study, let alone explicitly consent.

New CRG Report: Genetic Privacy and Non-Forensic Biobanks ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s17178h6RiwW )

Council for Responsible Genetics
Do You Know Where Your DNA Is? Genetic Privacy and Non-Forensic Biobanks explores the various forms of biobanks in the US, their privacy limitations, the current state of regulation and the need for reform.

Could a Genetic Test Predict the Risk for Suicide? ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1b4b9h6RiwZ )

by Antonio Regalado, MIT Technology Review
Two groups of researchers are claiming they can use DNA tests to predict who will attempt suicide, and one startup company will begin offering a suicide risk test to doctors next month for patients taking antidepressants.

US agency updates rules on sharing genomic data ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1abfdh6Rix1 )

by Richard Van Noorden, Nature News
Changes clarify procedures for telling participants in NIH-funded studies how their data might be used.

When Big Data & Infants' Privacy Collide ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1aabdh6Rix2 )

by Alison Diana, Information Week
Technology allows researchers to discover newborns' genetic secrets, but the long-term repercussions worry some parents and privacy advocates.

Will Lowering The Price Of Genetic Testing Raise The Cost Of Medical Care? ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1a83dh6Rix4 )

by Peter Ubeln, Forbes
The days of affordable genomic sequencing are rapidly approaching. But will such testing bankrupt us?

Microbiology: Microbiome Science Needs a Healthy Dose of Scepticism ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1a97dh6Rix7 )

by William P. Hanage, Nature
To guard against hype, those interpreting research on the body's microscopic communities should ask five questions.

Over-Optimistic Portrayal of Life-Supporting Treatments in Newspapers and Internet ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1ad3dh6Rix8 )

by Thaddeus Popedo, Medical Futility Blog
Newspapers and the Internet have the potential to influence patients' knowledge and attitudes toward medical decision-making by providing over-optimistic medical information.

High-Risk Brain Research Wins NSF Backing ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s196bdh6Rixb )

by Sara Reardon, Nature News
The US National Science Foundation is supporting new research into the properties of neural circuits.

Where is the brain in the Human Brain Project? ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1567ch6Rixc )

by Yves Fr&eacute;gnac & Gilles Laurent, Nature
Europe's &euro;1-billion science and technology project needs to clarify its goals and establish transparent governance.

Biologists Choose Sides In Safety Debate Over Lab-Made Pathogens ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s155bch6Rixf )

by Nell GreenfieldBoyce, NPR
A smoldering debate about whether researchers should ever deliberately create superflu strains and other risky germs in the interest of science has flared once again.

Synthetic biology goes for scale ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s151fch6Rixi )

by Joanna Glasner, Reuters
Synthetic biology, which uses engineered gene sequences to create new biological systems and devices, used to be a subject for futurists and sci-fi writers, but now is attracting large investments.

On the Horns of the GMO Dilemma ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s150bch6Rixj )

by Antonio Regalado, MIT Technology Review
Can genome-editing technology revive the idea of genetically modified livestock?

&lsquo;Can you clone that?&rsquo; Putin has close encounter with mammoth Dima in Russia&rsquo;s Far East ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s192fdh6Rixm )

Russia Today
Upon meeting a mammoth mummy in a museum in the Russian Far East, President Putin was assured that the museum scientists are closely collaborating with South Koreans on the possibility of cloning it.

Century After Extinction, Passenger Pigeons Remain Iconic&mdash;And Scientists Hope to Bring Them Back ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1537ch6Rixo )

by Carl Zimmer, National Geographic
The 100th anniversary of the death of Martha, last of her kind, finds biologists dreaming of preventing or reversing extinctions.

Using Light Technique, Scientists Find Dimmer Switch for Memories in Mice ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s15bfch6Rixq )

by Pam Belluck, The New York Times
Using a technique in which light is used to switch neurons on and off, neuroscientists appear to have unlocked some secrets about how the brain attaches emotions to memories and how those emotions can be adjusted.

( https://networkforgood.rsvp1.com/s19a7dh6Rixs )

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