genetic engineering

An embryologist works on a petri dish at the Create Health fertility clinic in south London, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2013. Britain's fertility regulator said the first babies created using an experimental technique combining DNA from three people have been born, in an effort to prevent the children from inheriting rare genetic diseases.

The first babies in Britain are born with DNA from 3 people, regulators say

The experimental technique is an effort to prevent children from inheriting rare genetic diseases. Critics warn that tweaking the genetic code this way could be a slippery slope that leads to designer babies.

An employee of the Boston biotech company Ginkgo Bioworks runs a gene sequencing machine through its paces. The company synthesizes thousands of genes a month, which are then inserted into cells that become mini factories of useful products.

NPR Health

As Made-To-Order DNA Gets Cheaper, Keeping It Out Of The Wrong Hands Gets Harder

Nell Greenfieldboyce

Labs are churning out more and more synthetic DNA for scientists who want to use it to reprogram cells. Some say the technology has outpaced government safety guidelines put in place a decade ago.

Jonah Reeder prepares a special protein shake that helps him manage a metabolic condition called phenylketonuria.

NPR Health

A Gulp Of Genetically Modified Bacteria Might Someday Treat A Range Of Illnesses

Rob Stein

Researchers think genetically engineered versions of microbes that can live in humans could help treat some rare genetic disorders and perhaps help with Type 1 diabetes, cirrhosis and cancer.