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Speakers:
Dr Debra Mathews, Assistant Director of Science Programs, Berman Institute of Bioethics
Prof John Harris, Sir David Alliance Professor of Bioethics, University of Manchester
Prof Robin Lovell-Badge, Head of Developmental Genetics, MRC National Institute For Medical Research
The creation of stem cell-derived ‘artificial’ gametes has opened up several promising, and controversial, areas of research. As well as providing potential treatments for infertility, there is speculation that they could be used to allow same sex couples to have a child genetically descended from both parents, a question that is being debated in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. Leading bioethicists and embryologists came together to discuss the scientific and ethical issues involved in this area of research.