Conversation

US startup charging couples to
‘screen embryos for IQ’

Heliospect’s services were marketed at up to $50,000 for 100 embryos, undercover footage shows

What is genomic prediction and can embryos really be ‘screened for IQ’?

A US startup company is offering to help wealthy couples screen their embryos for IQ using controversial technology
that raises questions about the ethics of genetic enhancement.

The company, #Heliospect #Genomics, has worked with more than a dozen couples undergoing IVF, according to undercover video footage.

The recordings show the company marketing its services at up to $50,000 (£38,000) for clients seeking to test 100 embryos,
and claiming to have helped some parents select future children based on genetic predictions of intelligence.

Managers boasted their methods could produce a gain of more than six IQ points.

Experts say the development represents an ethical minefield.

The information has emerged from video recordings made by the campaign group Hope Not Hate, which went undercover to investigate separate groups of activists and academics.

The Guardian reviewed the recordings and conducted further research alongside Hope Not Hate.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/oct/18/us-startup-charging-couples-to-screen-embryos-for-iq