In 2018 news broke that a Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, had used CRISPR to edit human embryos, and twin girls had been born as a result. The story set off an explosive bioethical controversy. As gene editing expert Kiran Musunuru put it, “He Jiankui’s genetic misadventures were the biggest medical story of the century so far.” Both scientists and the public had a lot of questions. What was the unmet medical need that justified the gene editing? Was the science ready for prime time? And, if it was, was He Jiankui the right scientist to do it? Seven years later these questions are far from resolved. Credits Host: <a href= "https://www.sciencehistory.org/profile/alexis-j-pedrick">Alexis Pedrick</a> Executive Producer: <a href= "https://www.sciencehistory.org/profile/mariel-carr">Mariel Carr</a> Producer: <a href= "https://www.sciencehistory.org/profile/rigoberto-hernandez">Rigoberto Hernandez</a> Associate Producer: <a href= "https://www.sciencehistory.org/profile/sarah-kaplan/">Sarah Kaplan</a> Audio Engineer: <a href="https://samiabouzid.com/" target= "_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Samia Bouzid</a> Music by <a href="https://www.sessions.blue/" target= "_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Blue Dot Sessions</a> Resource List Baylis, Françoise. <a href= "https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674976719" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Altered Inheritance: CRISPR and the Ethics of Human Genome Editing</a>. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2019. CBS News. “<a href= "https://www.cbsnews.com/video/chinese-researcher-claims-he-helped-make-first-gene-edited-babies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese Researcher Claims He Helped Make First Gene-Edited Babies</a>.” CBS News, November 26, 2018. CBS News. “<a href= "https://www.cbsnews.com/video/chinese-scientist-behind-gene-edited-babies-sentenced-to-3-years-in-prison/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese Scientist Behind Gene-Edited Babies Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison</a>.” CBS News, December 30, 2019. Cobb, Matthew. <a href= "https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/matthew-cobb/as-gods/9781541602854/?lens=basic-books" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">As Gods: A Moral History of the Genetic Age</a>. New York: Basic Books, 2022. Greely, Henry T. <a href= "https://direct.mit.edu/books/book/5023/CRISPR-PeopleThe-Science-and-Ethics-of-Editing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CRISPR People: The Science and Ethics of Editing Humans</a>. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2021. "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8zgXdYexLg" target= "_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">He Jiankui presentation and Q&A, International Summit on Human Genome Editing</a>." Youtube Video, November 26, 2018. Marchione, Marilynn. Associated Press. “<a href= "https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-international-news-ca-state-wire-genetic-frontiers-health-4997bb7aa36c45449b488e19ac83e86d" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese researcher claims first gene-edited babies</a>.” AP News, November 26, 2018. “<a href= "https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/23/1117373/cathy-tie-he-jiankui-china-crispr-x-twitter-feed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Meet Cathy Tie, Bride of 'China’s Frankenstein.'</a>” MIT Technology Review, May 23, 2025. Musunuru, Kiran. <a href= "https://www.biblio.com/book/crispr-generation-story-worlds-first-gene/d/1664811849?srsltid=AfmBOopen9cfGuqdjlYpiJETAf3wfo2PIflQxMRuiPZf1ItlBnuF2Krk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The CRISPR Generation: The Story of the World’s First Gene-Edited Babies</a>. BookBaby, 2019. NBC News. “<a href= "https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/chinese-scientist-says-he-helped-create-first-gene-edited-babies-1381018691797" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese Scientist Says He Helped Create First Gene-Edited Babies</a>.” NBC News, November 26, 2018. “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCSlUEENOKg" target= "_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World's first successful tailor-made gene therapy saves baby born with rare disorder</a>.” CBS Mornings. May 16, 2025.

Podurama

Home

Trending

Personal

Your Podcasts

New Episodes

My Files

Favourite Episodes

Tags (Folders)

Recently Played

Bookmarks

Followed Playlists

The CRISPR Babies

Distillations | Science History Institute

AI Chapters

AI Insights

Reviews