Events
With the advent of modern technology, the widely accepted procedure of in vitro fertilization now includes the option of combining the mitochondrial genes of a third person with a couple's egg and sperm. Adding a third source of DNA can improve a child's quality of life by preventing mitochondrial diseases such as muscular dystrophy. The resulting offspring will then have three genetic parents which raises ethical and social concerns. What will be the psychological and social impact on the child be, knowing that he/she has the genes of three, as opposed to two, parents? Does contributing your genes entitle you to certain parental rights? Will the ability to 'mix-and-match' genetic material from different people open doors to engineering "ideal" humans? Join the Bioethics Society and Association of Undergraduate Geneticists in exploring the ethical controversies surrounding the case of the three parent baby. Food will be provided!