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[SaintsSeptember]

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/sci...ene-edited-babies-blames-scientist-he-jiankui

China confirms gene-edited babies, blames scientist He Jiankui

Chinese biologist He Jiankui. Photo: Sam Tsang


The Chinese authorities are holding scientist He Jiankui wholly responsible for creating the world’s first gene-edited babies.
He had announced their birth in November, after which the authorities announced an investigation into the matter.
A team of investigators told the official Xinhua news agency on Monday that a preliminary investigation had concluded that He had “organised a project team that included foreign staff, which intentionally avoided surveillance and used technology of uncertain safety and effectiveness to perform human embryo gene-editing activity with the purpose of reproduction, which is officially banned in the country”.
Between March 2017 and November 2018, He forged ethical review papers and recruited eight couples to participate in his experiment, resulting in two pregnancies.

Chinese scientist He Jiankui says he is proud of genetic experiments

One of the mothers gave birth to twins nicknamed “Lulu” and “Nana”, the investigators said. Another woman is still carrying a gene-edited fetus.
They also said that He, his staff and organisations related to his project would be punished according to laws and regulations.
The Guangdong government will keep the twins under medical observation.
The government decision was welcomed by the scientific community.
A biologist, who asked not to be identified, said: “This is a result I’m happy to see,” he said. ”This should be the way. There needs to be protection of the babies too.”
He said he had also researched gene-editing but all experiments were done on lab rats only.
In an interview with Beijing Youth Daily on Sunday, Shao Feng, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and deputy director of the National Institute of Biological Sciences, said the whole incident would need to be investigated thoroughly.
“If I were to handle the matter, I would never tell [the twins] they’ve been gene-edited and allow them to live their lives like normal people,” he said. “I think that’s for the best.”
An expert in the field, Shao is worried about potential health risks the children will face as well as the incident’s effect on the human race.

China suspends all projects of gene-edited baby scientist He Jiankui, and says those involved will be punished

“Once the gate of gene-editing is wide open, the human race will be finished,” he said. “The technology is strong but the terrifying fact is that anyone slightly trained in a lab can perform it.”
He has not been seen in public since he announced the births at the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing in Hong Kong in November. Some media reports have claimed he is being kept under house arrest or even detained by police.
A spokeswoman at the Shenzhen-based Southern University of Science and Technology, He’s employer, has previously dismissed talk of detention as rumours.
He has faced a wave of condemnation from China’s scientific community and health officials have insisted they knew nothing of his experiments.
China’s Ministry of Science and Technology has ordered research institutes to suspend all of He’s scientific projects.
An investigation into He’s work found that the ethics review committee at the Harmonicare Women and Children’s Hospital, which the scientist said had approved his research, was not registered with the city’s health authorities.

China’s birth rate falls to its lowest rate since 1961

The hospital had earlier denied any involvement with the project.
Last month the Shenzhen authorities announced they would issue draft guidelines for the ethical review of biomedical research involving humans.
Internet users flooded social media with comments on the news of investigations into He’s work. “This professor is not worthy of being in education, he has the evil ambitions of a terrorist in disaster movies,” one wrote on Weib.
“I knew he’d end up in ruins, and this will affect the Chinese scientific community,” another wrote.
It is unclear what punishments He faces or what the consequences would be for the babies and the pregnant volunteers, if any.
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Scientist to blame for first gene-edited babies, probe finds

I watched "Venom" on the weekend

 

[Drake Huggins]

I watched "Venom" on the weekend

It's inevitable that designer babies will be common in the future. Gene scissor and manipulation techniques are advancing rapidly. Thrown in a burgeoning dtem cell industry and immortality is within reach. Just as well. I might get to see a saints' premiership!

 

[borderbarry]

It's inevitable that designer babies will be common in the future. Gene scissor and manipulation techniques are advancing rapidly. Thrown in a burgeoning dtem cell industry and immortality is within reach. Just as well. I might get to see a saints' premiership!

You just might need another fifty years for that.

 

[mightymalaka]

trying to brother trying to...

That would be Sister in this case Trav!

Reckon Diehard can't be too keen on constantly being referred to as a dude!

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

That would be Sister in this case Trav!

Reckon Diehard can't be too keen on constantly being referred to as a dude!

brother can be gender neutral cant it ....

maybe not

 

[Diehard Saint]

That would be Sister in this case Trav!

Reckon Diehard can't be too keen on constantly being referred to as a dude!

No issue being one of the boys in a very largely male domain, although tbh I didn’t really want to be “sprung.”

 

[Diehard Saint]

brother can be gender neutral cant it ....

maybe not

Am not overly PC I’ll admit.
Nearly threw up the other day when someone on the radio said batsman and then self-corrected to batsperson during a women’s cricket match. I mean, come on...

 

[Persevering Saint]

brother can be gender neutral cant it ....

maybe not

In Greek, maybe , at least in in its earlier form, αδέλφια... ish. I'm not so sure you can do that with αδέρφοι these days...?

 

[Persevering Saint]

Am not overly PC I’ll admit.
Nearly threw up the other day when someone on the radio said batsman and then self-corrected to batsperson during a women’s cricket match. I mean, come on...

I'm going with "batter" when I'm watching WBBL. I still struggle, though, with, "GOT'IM!... I mean, GOT'ER!... er..."

 

[gringo2011]

In Greek, maybe , at least in in its earlier form, αδέλφια... ish. I'm not so sure you can do that with αδέρφοι these days...?

You're just showing off now Doctor.

 

[Persevering Saint]

You're just showing off now Doctor.

Hehe, I'm not mega-strong with my Greek, it's an area I've been working on, on the side here and there, for the last few years. There's plenty of ACTUAL Greeks here who'll keep me humble in that regard.

 

[Diehard Saint]

I'm going with "batter" when I'm watching WBBL. I still struggle, though, with, "GOT'IM!... I mean, GOT'ER!... er..."

No. that’s American, and baseball.

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

I'm going with "batter" when I'm watching WBBL. I still struggle, though, with, "GOT'IM!... I mean, GOT'ER!... er..."

surely you just go with Howzat!!!

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

last night i went to see Nick Cave in his "in conversation with Nick Cave" shows ... all i can say is WOW fan bloody tastic show !! if it ever comes around again be sure to check it out

 

[George]

Hehe, I'm not mega-strong with my Greek, it's an area I've been working on, on the side here and there, for the last few years. There's plenty of ACTUAL Greeks here who'll keep me humble in that regard.

Malaka

 

[Persevering Saint]

Malaka

Είναι τή αλήθεια.

 

[Yawkey way]

Rolling blackouts, my power went down about 12.30 they say no more than two hours this is Elwood now so be prepared.

I went to the beach and had a swim which was ok and came home to find I’m back on, gee it’s hot out there.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Rolling blackouts, my power went down about 12.30 they say no more than two hours this is Elwood now so be prepared.

I went to the beach and had a swim which was ok and came home to find I’m back on, gee it’s hot out there.

Yeah my car is old and crappy, i think i'll just get rid of it. DONE.
Now i need to get around ....oh shit.

That seems to be how we manage Victoria's power.
I guess businesses in Victoria now need to glue themselves to the BOM to find out when they can work.

My other comment is... I hope the CBD and Parliment House get a turn at it, because they don't pay extra for their electricity.

 

[gringo2011]

Yeah my car is old and crappy, i think i'll just get rid of it. DONE.
Now i need to get around ....oh shit.

That seems to be how we manage Victoria's power.
I guess businesses in Victoria now need to glue themselves to the BOM to find out when they can work.

My other comment is... I hope the CBD and Parliment House get a turn at it, because they don't pay extra for their electricity.

It's energy policy in Canberra, they still haven't had a policy since Rudd. My mate works for AGL and before that in wind power, the companies all want a framework and policy so they can invest but instead they hold back until they have certainty. The wind company closed down because they set up with government contracts that got torn up and lost their funding. Stayed for 4 years waiting for a green light that was promised but the policy never came and changed by the month. Still haven't managed to work anything out in Canberra. Meanwhile we sell out gas for nothing overseas. Dumb country with dumb politicians.

 

[mightymalaka]

Malaka

You called!
How can i help you today Georgie?

 

[sunny3193]

You called!
How can i help you today Georgie?

MM,
Many years ago I had the privilege of working with Greek male immigrants, who took great delight in teaching this Skip Greek phrases and words.
If I spell them phonetically would you like to translate for the board?

 

[boydie]

It's energy policy in Canberra, they still haven't had a policy since Rudd. My mate works for AGL and before that in wind power, the companies all want a framework and policy so they can invest but instead they hold back until they have certainty. The wind company closed down because they set up with government contracts that got torn up and lost their funding. Stayed for 4 years waiting for a green light that was promised but the policy never came and changed by the month. Still haven't managed to work anything out in Canberra. Meanwhile we sell out gas for nothing overseas. Dumb country with dumb politicians.

Yep perfect example of all the pollies just wanting to do what they need to do to get themselves another 3/4 years, selfish stuff really.
Need some long term thinkers in Fed and state politics ASAP

 

[St Muir]

It's energy policy in Canberra, they still haven't had a policy since Rudd. My mate works for AGL and before that in wind power, the companies all want a framework and policy so they can invest but instead they hold back until they have certainty. The wind company closed down because they set up with government contracts that got torn up and lost their funding. Stayed for 4 years waiting for a green light that was promised but the policy never came and changed by the month. Still haven't managed to work anything out in Canberra. Meanwhile we sell out gas for nothing overseas. Dumb country with dumb politicians.

Or smart corrupt ones

 

[VDS66]

Exactly why we need full transperancy of political donations.

And the banning of lobby groups.

 

[pebblesofsand]

Bit wild down in East Gippsland at the moment - thankfully its a true "bush" fire and the wind and temps have dropped dramatically.