03/01/2026
Singapore approved designer embryos with disease immunity, while US debates if rich should control evolution
Singapore just became the first developed nation to legalize selecting embryos with enhanced disease resistance during IVF. Using CRISPR screening, clinics can now identify embryos carrying genes that provide immunity to HIV, Alzheimer's, heart disease, and certain cancers—and legally select those for implantation. The first "immunity-enhanced" baby was born in August 2024.
The process works through advanced embryo screening: after IVF creates multiple embryos, scientists sequence each one's complete genome and use AI to predict disease resistance based on thousands of genetic markers. They're not editing genes—just selecting embryos that naturally have the best genetic hand dealt by random chance. It's like examining all the poker hands before choosing which one to play. Some embryos randomly inherit combinations of protective gene variants that provide significantly better disease resistance. Previously, IVF clinics could only screen for serious genetic diseases; now they can optimize for health advantages.
This is triggering the most significant bioethics debate of our generation: wealthy couples can now pay $85,000 to select embryos with superior disease resistance, essentially buying genetic advantages for their children. Critics call this "libertarian eugenics"—not government-forced like historical eugenics, but economically coerced where rich families genetically outcompete everyone else. Within generations, we could see genetic stratification where wealthy lineages have built-in health advantages compounding across generations.
American fertility doctors are watching nervously because US law exists in a gray area—embryo selection isn't explicitly illegal, but enhanced selection beyond disease prevention would likely trigger FDA intervention and massive ethical resistance. Meanwhile, Singaporean, Chinese, and UAE clinics are marketing these services to wealthy Americans willing to travel. We're facing a future where your child's disease risk might be determined by your bank account.
Should parents have the right to select healthier embryos if they can afford it? Or does this create unacceptable genetic inequality between economic classes?
📊 Source: Singapore National Bioethics Committee, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, December 2024