In the 21st century, discoveries of genetics and inventions of biotechnology have helped countless families to conceive millions of children worldwide. Currently, modern genetic engineering—removing or including specific genes—is becoming possible in biomedicine. A designer baby is a baby whose genetic makeup has been selected to remove genes associated with disease. This course covers the biology involved in this topic, as well as techniques of fertility treatments, how genetic engineering can be used to treat disease before birth, and the ethical concerns that this technology could be used for the enhancement of human traits, with implications for the wider society.

Live Classes: Wednesdays, 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Student Expectations: Each week there will be a list of assignments and activities for the next week posted in the online classroom. These may include readings, videos, websites, questions, and quizzes. Students must complete the assignments, which are due the following week before class. They will also be expected to report their findings from their experiments in a lab paper.

Student Support: The instructors are available by email.

Feedback/Assessment: The instructors will provide written feedback on activities and assignments.

Materials/Supplies: All necessary readings and assignments will be provided online.

Prerequisites: None