‘Gattaca’ in real life? Reproductive startup claims it can sequence 99% of embryo’s genome

A new assisted reproductive technology (ART) startup is aiming to let parents test their embryos for birth defects, neurodevelopmental disorders, chromosomal abnormalities, and more before beginning the in-vitro fertilization (IVF) process.

The company, called Orchid, announced that it is launching the first commercially available whole genome sequencing report for embryos, claiming the testing will allow parents to find out if their preborn children have genetic risks which were previously only able to be found after birth.

“This is a major advance in the amount of information parents can have,” Noor Siddiqui, Orchid’s founder and CEO, told CNBC. “The way that you can use that information is really up to you, but it gives a lot more control and confidence into a process that, for all of history, has just been totally left to chance.”

Orchid claims it can sequence 99% of an embryo’s genome, while current tests can only test .25% by comparison. Currently, it costs $2,500 per embryo and is only available at IVF clinics in major cities, but can be made available by request.

READ: ‘Hipster eugenicist’ couple hopes to make real-life ‘Gattaca’ babies through genetic screening

This testing, however, takes the world one step closer to a ‘Gattaca’-like reality in which children are screened for “unwanted” conditions and then robbed of their chance to live based on the results. Already, these embryos — actual human beings — are commodified and treated like products, and testing like that which is offered by Orchid only furthers that notion.

Roshan George, a parent who had his embryos tested through Orchid, said they used Orchid to learn that two of their three embryos were “healthy,” though it was not specified what conditions led to the third embryo being branded as “unhealthy.”

George and his wife are both carriers for nonsyndromic hearing loss, so ostensibly, it may simply be that the third embryo had a disability, which led to that particular child being unwanted and labeled as unworthy of the chance to live. “Just having some degree of certainty — you’re going to make sure they’re not sick when they’re born and all that sort of stuff — it’s a huge amount of anxiety that’s been lifted off,” George said.

Instead of being treated as people with an inherent right to life, the embryos are treated like cars needing to be taken on test drives before being purchased. This sort of dehumanization is common in the largely unregulated reproductive technology industry.