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Biowissenschaften

Martin College Brisbane

A+, Samantha Ireland

Verena S. ©
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Designer Babies: Biology Gene Editing

Around 7.9 million children each year are born with a serious birth defect due to genetic inheritance, 30% of all deaths worldwide are due to chronic diseases (such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes) in those under 70. (Genetics, Christopher Gyngell, 2018, pg.1).

With technology advancements and extensive testing and research designer babies and genetic engineering may one day give parents the opportunity of modifying their unborn child to prevent them having debilitating diseases.

The term "designer baby" refers to a baby whose genetic makeup has been artificially selected by genetic engineering combined with in vitro fertilization to ensure the presence or absence of genes or characteristics. (Future for All, 2018, pg. 1)

Genetic testing is a medical test that identifies changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins. The results from the test alert us about suspected genetic condition and can help determine a person’s chance of developing or passing on a genetic disorder.

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is the term used to describe the process used to perceive a child outside the
body. IVF involves extracting the eggs from the women’s ovaries and fertilising them for a few days in a specialised laboratory. The fertilised egg (embryos) which is now called a zygote is placed back into the uterus. (IVF Australia, 2018, pg.1).

This procedure has led to another procedure which allows parents to weed out genetically defective embryos. This is called preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD)

PGD is commonly used during an IVF procedure to test an embryo for genetic disorders before the zygote is inserted into the woman's uterus. Once the egg is fertilized, a cell from each embryo is taken and then examined under a microscope to identify signs of genetic disorders. (PGD Laboratories, 2018, pg.1) This procedure is used by many couples that are aware of any inherited disorders in their genes to decrease the possibility that the disorder will passed to their child.

Currently, PGD can be used to detect many disorders life changing diseases, including cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome, Tay-Sachs disease and haemophilia A.

Some genetic disorders are specific to one gender or another, for example haemophilia, which generally affects boys. With IVF and PGD doctors can examine the cells to determine the gender of the embryo. In an event where a family has a history of haemophilia, they can select only female embryos for placement in the uterus instead of male embryos.

PGD empowers us to pick out embryos that don't have genetic disorders, and chose the gender we want, however another method that could potentially soon be used to change human genetics is called germline gene therapy. This procedure is like PGD but has an added step.

Germinal cells are our reproductive cells. This method means manipulating genes pf the sperm, egg or embryo. By doing this we are adding new genes to the cells, this makes it possible that most traits could be added to an embryo to create a designer child. (How Stuff Works, 2018, pg.4)

The main idea of having designer babies is to improve health in families. There are diseases that are acquired because of genetic reasons. Genetic engineering can provide an option for people who want to protect their future generations from acquiring fatal and debilitating illnesses that run in the family.

Designer babies may also be helpful for parents who have an existing child who carries a serious illness. With new genes from a family member, they can extract stem cells from the designed baby and use them to treat the sibling with a disease, prolonging this child’s life.

The science and technology behind designer babies is so complex. Genetic engineering hasn’t been perfected yet and there are possible complications and risks involved in the life of these designer babies.

Current techniques and procedures are imprecise and can possibly lead to extensive damage to the genome. It would be unethical if a child was born whose genome was edited with current techniques.

A risk associated with designer babies could be that we end up with low biodiversity throughout a whole generation. Low biodiversity means a lowering of the immunity to different virus’ and diseases that may spring up as well as less difference between people; if it is seen that blue eyes is favourable over other coloured eyes, then eventually the gene pool in society would consist of most blue genomes and a tiny proportion of other colours.

Although this may be a simple example, the larger spread of immunity to disease and other conditions may follow suit.


Currently it is unethical to use procedures discovered to create a ‘designer baby’, but with rapidly advancing technology and further developed practices I think designer babies could be a real positive for our society. In the future if this procedure is developed and meets the global ethical standards I think it should be utilised but only if it is appropriate.

I think there should be limitations to what it is used for. For example only use it for preventing serious birth defects and diseases.



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