Subject: Biopolitical Views & News: CRISPR & Hype / Eugenics & Marriage / Stars, Bars & Embryos
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Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2015 01:08:02 +0000

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July 30, 2015

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Welcoming New Center for Genetics and Society Staff  ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s17e1dkBeXm9 )

We are delighted to welcome Elliot Hosman ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1855ckBeXmb ) as Senior Program Associate and Emma Maniere ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s187dckBeXmd ) as Communications and Program Associate. Don't miss their blog posts in this issue of Biopolitical Views & News.

2014 Annual Report Available Online  ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1465dkBeXmf )

Our 2014 Annual Report ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s182dckBeXmh ) provides a snapshot of the Center for Genetics and Society's work to bring social justice, human rights and public interest perspectives to issues related to human biotechnologies.

The Facts Behind #CRISPRfacts and the Hype Behind CRISPR ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1435dkBeXmj )

by Jonathan Chernoguz

WIRED's hyped CRISPR cover article triggered a wave of tweets and criticism.

Stars, Bars, and Embryos ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s141ddkBeXml )

by Emma Maniere

Controversies about the confederate flag and prenatal genetic testing are far more complex than "choice" and "intent" suggest.

Slipping Into Eugenics? Nathaniel Comfort on the History Behind CRISPR ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1805ckBeXmn )

by Elliot Hosman
A historian unravels the social and political context of genetic research and eugenics in the United States.

Forgotten Stories of the Eugenic Age #2: Eugenics, Love, and the Marriage Problem ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s188dckBeXmp )

by Natalie Oveyssi
When gazing deeply into a lover's eyes, eugenists advised, women should not look for the "yearning, burning, soulful fires, which rage in the erotic litany of love," but for symptoms of eye disease.

Can We Cure Genetic Diseases Without Slipping Into Eugenics? ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1899ckBeXms )

by Nathaniel Comfort, The Nation
Gene editing could correct genetic mutations for serious illnesses. Will it also create a new eugenics of personal choice?

CRISPR/Cas Gene-Editing Technique Holds Great Promise, but Research Moratorium Makes Sense Pending Further Study  ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s18b1ckBeXmu )

by Jeff Bessen, The Conversation
In the enthusiasm and hype surrounding CRISPR, it is easy to forget that the technology has been in wide use for barely three years and the accompanying risks are not yet known.

Eliminating Intersex Babies Is not a Legitimate Use of Genetic Embryo Testing ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s14eddkBeXmx )

by Celeste Orr, The Guardian
Using preimplantation genetic diagnosis to select against embryos with culturally devalued bodies, like intersex people and people with disabilities, is simply a contemporary example of eugenics.

This Company Is Trying To Make More Perfect Babies ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s15d5dkBeXmB )

by Azeen Ghorayshi, BuzzFeed
As startup GenePeeks partners with a fertility clinic to screen egg donors for nearly 450 genetic changes linked to disease, critics worry about an emerging market for designer babies.

Sympathetic Sci-Fi ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s19f1ckBeXmE )

by Joshua Rothman, New Yorker
The new sci-fi series "Sense8" fantasizes about human "enhancement" via broadening empathy and social connection.

POV: It&rsquo;s Time to Regulate the Fertility Industry ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s15e9dkBeXmG )

by George Annas, Boston University Today
Patients' intense desire to have children can leave them at the mercy of the market and unscrupulous practitioners. The fertility industry does not, and perhaps simply cannot, police itself.

Outsourcing Motherhood: India's Reproductive Dystopia ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s15b9dkBeXmK )

by Namita Kohli, Hindustan Times
Stories of DNA mismatches, abandoned babies, and unscrupulous practices at IVF clinics suggest that commercial surrogacy in the country is almost in a state of lawlessness.

The House of Hidden Mothers by Meera Syal ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1585dkBeXmN )

by Aisha Farooq, DESIblitz.com  [UK]
A new novel explores issues of infertility and surrogacy that affect South Asian and British Asian society today.

A BC Alum's New Site Links LGBT Couples With Egg Donors, Sperm Donors & Surrogates ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s193dckBeXmT )

by Rebecca Strong, BostInno
Bird Meets Bee, an ART matchmaker website launching in October, would feature customizable user profiles and filter criteria such as "LGBT status, heritage, hair color, eye color, or height."

Law Banning Commercial Surrogacy Takes Effect Thursday ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1525dkBeXmV )

Bangkok Post
A new law banning commercial surrogacy takes effect July 30 even as controversy continues to swirl around children born before the law was passed this winter.

The Ethical Sperm Bank: An All-Open Sperm Bank. An Idea Whose Time Has Come ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1561dkBeXmY )

by Wendy Kramer, Huffington Post
These are the only solutions in the absence of government regulation. Perhaps in time and as public pressure mounts, regulation will follow.

Sperm Donor Fathers Reveal Struggle of Not Knowing Who Their Kids Are ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1481ckBeXn1 )

by Lauren McMah, Perth Now [Australia]
&ldquo;A lot of the commentary and discussion focuses on the donor-conceived people but I think it&rsquo;s equally important to look at the impact on donors."

What You Really Need to Know About Egg Freezing ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s14bdckBeXn4 )

by Charlotte Alter, Diane Tsai, & Francesca Triannin, Time
Some call egg freezing an "insurance policy" for modern women. But does it really work? Here are eight key takeaways from six months of reporting.

Putting a Price on a Human Egg ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s14edckBeXn8 )

by Ashby Jones, The Wall Street Journal
A lawsuit claims that price guidelines used by fertility clinics artificially suppress the amount women can get for their eggs.

Republicans Just Sabotaged a Bill that Would Have Helped Wounded Vets Start Families ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1755ckBeXnb )

by Jennifer Gerson Uffalussy, Fusion
A recent Congressional bill would have extended coverage for fertility treatments to retired veterans.

Your 23andMe DNA Can Be Used In Racist, Discriminatory Ways ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1b65dkBeXnf )

by Stephanie M. Lee, BuzzFeed
A programmer came up with an app that can block users from websites based on information drawn from their DNA about "sex, ancestry, disease susceptibility, and arbitrary characteristics."

Google is Scouring Ancestry.com to Find Out What's In Your Genes ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1b21dkBeXni )

by Caroline Chen, Bloomberg Businessweek
Google Inc.&rsquo;s Calico, which studies aging and related diseases, will delve into the genetic database amassed by Ancestry.com to look for hereditary influences on longevity.

Congress Should Support Access to Post-Conviction DNA Testing ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1711ckBeXnm )

by Kirk Bloodsworth, The Hill
"If not for post-conviction DNA testing, I might still be in prison, or worse, I could have been executed."

India&rsquo;s DNA Profiling Bill May Become One of the World&rsquo;s Most Intrusive Laws ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1b81dkBeXnq )

by Akshat Rathi, Quartz
India&rsquo;s prime minister wants to ensure that DNA analysis is used more widely to convict criminals despite many flaws in the proposed bill.

Drifting Away from Informed Consent in the Era of Personalized Medicine ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1bbddkBeXnt )

by Erik Parens, The Hastings Center Report
In our excitement about the technological capacity to gather genomic data at an ever-lower cost, we are drifting away from what has long been a basic ethical commitment.

US Tailored-Medicine Project Aims for Ethnic Balance ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1beddkBeXnx )

by Sara Reardon, Nature News
The $215-million Precision Medicine Initiative is having trouble meeting an imminent deadline, in part because its priorities include filling racial and socio-economic gaps left by other long-term studies.

The Regulatory System May Not Be Ready for Synthetic Organisms ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1ac1dkBeXnA )

by Susana Medeiros, RegBlog
Synthetic microorganisms could reproduce, spread, and compete with natural organisms, and evolve to pose risks to humans, animals, and the environment.

Cutting-Edge Technology and Mitochondrial Diseases - Where is the Limit? ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s16f1ckBeXnE )

by Dusko Ilic, BioNews
In their latest study, Shoukrat Mitalipov and collaborators report on two potential 'gene correction' strategies that can help patients with mitochondrial diseases.

Mitochondria Swap ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s16a1ckBeXnI )

by Kate Yandell, The Scientist
Researchers have generated patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells corrected for mitochondrial defects, but no immediate clinical application is in sight.

Don't Mistake Genetics for Fate ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1ab9dkBeXnK )

by Andrew Gelman & Kaiser Fun, The Daily Beast
It&rsquo;s easy for the media to get misled on studies that seem to support genetic determinism. The result is that readers are exposed only to the puffery but only rarely to the skepticism.

Another &lsquo;Too Big to Fail&rsquo; System in G.M.O.s ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1689ckBeXnO )

by Mark Spitznagel and Nassim Nicholas Taleb, The New York Times
By leading to monoculture &mdash; which is the same in finance, where all risks became systemic &mdash; G.M.O.s threaten more than they can potentially help.

Scientist Criticizes Media Portrayal of Research ( http://www.geneticsandsociety.rsvp1.com/s1615ckBeXnR )

by Chris Woolston, Nature News
A psychology researcher looks at media missteps in reporting work on music and the brain.

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