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Last month, 23andMe caused controversy when it patented technology that could allow parents to effectively design their own babies.
23andMe, which was founded in 2007 by Anne Wojcicki, has come under fire on moral grounds for patenting a DNA prediction service. The patent, covering predictive genetics software, was heavily criticised by scientists and bioethicists.
According to 23andMe, the patent relates to a tool currently available to customers on the company’s website, called the Family Traits Inheritor Calculator, which shows potential parents the risk of inheriting specific diseases as well as details such as height, weight, eye colour, and even personality.
23andMe’s patent (US 8543339) has 28 claims. They define three types of inventions: a system, a method and a computer program for gamete donor selections. The claims include identifying a preferred donor among a plurality of donors based on 23andMe’s statistical analysis.
Theoretically, a man could go through several potential egg donors and choose the one that would produce the desired traits—or a woman with several sperm donors.
The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued the company’s patent for...
23andMe, which was founded in 2007 by Anne Wojcicki, has come under fire on moral grounds for patenting a DNA prediction service. The patent, covering predictive genetics software, was heavily criticised by scientists and bioethicists.
According to 23andMe, the patent relates to a tool currently available to customers on the company’s website, called the Family Traits Inheritor Calculator, which shows potential parents the risk of inheriting specific diseases as well as details such as height, weight, eye colour, and even personality.
23andMe’s patent (US 8543339) has 28 claims. They define three types of inventions: a system, a method and a computer program for gamete donor selections. The claims include identifying a preferred donor among a plurality of donors based on 23andMe’s statistical analysis.
Theoretically, a man could go through several potential egg donors and choose the one that would produce the desired traits—or a woman with several sperm donors.
The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued the company’s patent for...