News and blogs

Frances Flinter – Council Member and Emeritus Professor of Clinical Genetics at Guy’s & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust – talks us through some important issues to consider in relation to the introduction of whole genome sequencing of newborn babies.

As we start winding down for a short Christmas break to refresh and recharge ahead of a busy 2023 – it is time to look back on the year just gone, and to celebrate our successes and impact.

Today, MPs will debate the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill in the House of Commons.

As England moves closer to new laws allowing the use of genome editing in farming systems, our new public dialogue has given fresh insight into people’s views on precision breeding.

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics is working to ensure that the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill includes provisions for securing a high standard of animal welfare, should genome editing be introduced into our food and farming system.

The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill will amend regulatory requirements for the development and marketing of precision bred plants and animals in the UK.

Together with BBSRC-UKRI and Sciencewise, we are delighted to announce a new public dialogue on genome editing in farmed animals.

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics is calling on the Government to put animal welfare at the heart of plans to approve new breeding technologies in farming and food production, in a new report ‘Genome editing and farmed animal breeding: social and ethical issues’, published today.

Following a consultation held by Defra earlier this year, the Government has announced plans to reform the regulation of genome-edited organisms, beginning with plants and then extending to animals and microbes at a later date.

The findings of a dialogue exploring people’s views about the adoption of genome editing technologies into animal farming have been published by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics and the Ada Lovelace Institute will be working together on a new project on AI and genomics futures.