Sorry to be the bearer of very sad news. Prof Ian Craft passed away yesterday. He collapsed when he came down for breakfast and could not be resuscitated. I will be working with his son to arrange a memorial. He was the most intelligent person I have ever met. This photo was us in March at the opera. He phoned me every two days and we went to the opera and ballet almost every month over the last two years. He was getting weaker each time I saw him. He slept through the whole of Avalanche at the Barbican last month. Bless him.
Professor Marcus Pembrey (Founding Chair and current Patron of Progress Educational Trust) and Dr Jess Buxton (BioNews genetics editor 2000-2009 and current Trustee) reflect on 20 years of BioNews and its unrivalled coverage of scientific, legal and ethical developments in the fields of human genetics and assisted conception.
On 22 March 1999, BioNews launched its first online newsletter digest. It ran with ten news stories and a comment piece by Juliet Tizzard, a former director of the Progress Educational Trust, called 'Why BioNews?'
More than 200 volunteers have written for BioNews over the years, many of them having completed the BioNews writing scheme, which gives Masters and PhD students a thorough grounding in writing news and reviews.
Mitochondria are not as interchangeable as originally thought, which may have implications for the selection of donors for mitochondrial donation.
An international commission has been assembled to provide guidance on the development of therapies using human germline genome editing.
The New York State Supreme Court has granted permission for the parents of a deceased US army cadet to use his frozen sperm to have grandchildren.
The UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has released new commissioning guidance offering NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) advice on delivering high-quality cost-effective fertility services.
Sons whose mothers experienced high levels of stress during their first 18 weeks of pregnancy may have reduced fertility when they become adults.
To celebrate the grand occasion of our 1000th edition, download and print out the 'BioNews 1000' sign, and then take a photo of yourself (and/or your friends, family, pets or colleagues) holding it.
Please share your pictures on social media with the hashtag #BioNews1000
Please also send your images to our Deputy Director, Sandy Starr at [email protected]org.uk and then we will share them too.
We are also launching a 1000 x £10.00 (or '1000 tenners') Appeal. We are asking you and all of our readers to please donate at least £10, to help BioNews continue as a free service for another 1000 editions.
Make your donation here, or alternatively see other ways to donate here.
Finally, please note that PET's next free-to-attend evening event is taking place soon. The event is entitled 'Anonymous No More? Donor Conception and Direct-to-Consumer DNA Testing', and is taking place in London on the evening of Wednesday 19 June 2019.
Find out more about the event here, and register to attend here.
