Personal genomics company 23andMe was recently issued a patent for technology described as “gamete donor selection based on genetic calculations.”  According to the Verge, this technology allows parents to select the desired traits of a child prior to undergoing fertility treatment.  This technology builds on an existing service called the “Inheritance Calculator,” which lets parents see the odds that their future child will inherit a selection of traits, from brown hair to lactose intolerance. The Inheritance Calculator has been available for use since 2009 and is covered by the recent patent.  However, it also goes several steps further by describing a system that would allow parents to select their preferences for a host of traits, both medical and non-medical.

The patented system could identify a donor that would be preferred based on those selected characteristics.  While donors already undergo some genetic analysis to check for serious inheritable diseases, this technology includes controversial non-medical trait selection, which is already illegal in the U.K. and Canada.  Of course, simply selecting a preference and increasing the likelihood does not mean parents will get what they hope for.  The genetic foundations of traits like hair color or athleticism are markedly more complex than that.  23andMe states that they do not plan to use this technology to create designer babies.

The National Human Genome Research Institute states that the human genome contains 23 pairs of chromosomes that are made up of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) base pairs arranged in a specific sequence. Each nucleated cell within the human body contains these pairs of chromosomes, of which half were derived from the mother and half from the father. Each chromosome houses hundreds to thousands of genes, which are segments of DNA that contain a code for a specific protein. The sex chromosomes make up one of the 23 pairs of chromosomes, and normal females have two X chromosomes while normal males have one X and one Y chromosome.

Only 0.4 percent of the human genome differs between individuals. The potential for genomics lies in unlocking how these differences impact disease prevention and treatment. Family history is still one of the most important measurable risk factors for many conditions. However, genetic information can also provide non-medical information.  Designer babies would encompass selection of that genetic information.  Ultimately, there are no certainties about the genetic makeup of the baby after fertilization.  Ethics aside, parents seeking a custom baby are likely to end up disappointed in some way because there are no guarantees.