He Jiankui facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
He Jiankui
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| 贺建奎 | |||||||||
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He in 2018
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| Born | 1984 (age 40–41) Xinhua County, Hunan, China
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| Alma mater | University of Science and Technology of China (BS) Rice University (PhD) |
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| Known for | He Jiankui genome editing incident | ||||||||
| Scientific career | |||||||||
| Fields | Biophysics | ||||||||
| Institutions | Southern University of Science and Technology | ||||||||
| Thesis | Spontaneous Emergence of Hierarchy in Biological Systems (2011) | ||||||||
| Doctoral advisor | Michael W. Deem | ||||||||
| Other academic advisors | Stephen Quake | ||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 贺建奎 | ||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 賀建奎 | ||||||||
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He Jiankui ([xɤ̂ tɕi̯ɛ̂nkʰu̯ěi̯]; Chinese: 贺建kui; born 1984) is a Chinese biophysicist. He is known for his work in gene editing. In 2018, he announced that he had created the first human babies whose genes were changed. This caused a lot of discussion and concern around the world.
He Jiankui used to be a professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in China. He studied protein evolution and learned about CRISPR/Cas9, a tool for editing genes. After his gene-editing experiment, his research was stopped by Chinese authorities. He was later found guilty of breaking rules related to his work and was sent to prison for three years. He was released in 2022 and is now working on new research projects.
Contents
Early Life and Education
He Jiankui was born in Xinhua County, Hunan, China, in 1984.
He went to the University of Science and Technology of China from 2002 to 2006. He studied modern physics there. Later, he went to Rice University in the United States. In 2010, he earned his PhD degree in biophysics.
After getting his PhD, He Jiankui worked as a researcher at Stanford University. There, he learned more about the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique.
Career and Research
In 2012, He Jiankui returned to China and started his own lab. This lab was at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). He also started companies that focused on single-molecule sequencing and genome sequencing. This work involved studying DNA to understand health and diseases.
He Jiankui became well-known in China for his research. Some media even called him a "founding father of third-generation genome editing."
In 2018, He Jiankui began a special experiment. He took a break from his teaching job to focus on this research.
The Gene-Editing Experiment
On November 25, 2018, He Jiankui announced something big. He said his team had created the world's first babies with edited genes. These babies were twin girls, called Lulu and Nana (these are not their real names).
He explained that the twins were born from embryos that had been changed. The goal was to make them resistant to HIV, a virus that can cause serious illness. His team worked with couples where the father had HIV and the mother did not.
They used the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing tool. This tool changed a specific gene called CCR5. This gene normally helps HIV enter cells. By changing it, He hoped the girls would be protected from some types of HIV.
This experiment caused a lot of debate. Many scientists and ethicists around the world were concerned. They questioned if it was right to change human genes in this way. They also worried about the safety of the children and if the parents truly understood what was happening.
After the Announcement
Soon after He Jiankui's announcement, Chinese authorities stopped his research. They said his work was very serious and broke Chinese laws. He was also fired from SUSTech.
In December 2019, a court in China found He Jiankui guilty of breaking rules. He was sentenced to three years in prison and had to pay a large fine. He was released from prison in April 2022.
In 2019, Time magazine listed He Jiankui as one of the 100 most influential people. However, he was also called names like a "rogue scientist" or "China's Dr. Frankenstein" by some.
It was later confirmed that a third gene-edited baby, named Amy, was born in 2019. Scientists have suggested that these children should be carefully monitored for their health. However, there are also concerns about their privacy.
New Research Plans
In November 2022, He Jiankui announced he was starting a new lab in Beijing. He plans to research gene therapy for rare genetic diseases. He hopes to make these treatments more affordable.
One of his first goals is to work on a gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This is a muscle disease that mostly affects boys. He also mentioned plans to create a special DNA machine for storing information.
Current Role
In September 2023, He Jiankui became the first director of the Institute of Genetic Medicine. This institute is at Wuchang Technical College in Wuhan, China.
See also
In Spanish: He Jiankui para niños
- Assisted reproduction technology
- Human Nature (2019 CRISPR film documentary)
- Unnatural Selection (2019 TV documentary)
