Nov 30, 2019 - World
Report: Location of Chinese scientist who says he created first gene-edited babies unknown
He Jiankui at the 2018 International Summit on Human Genome Editing in Hong Kong. Photo: Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images
The whereabouts of scientist He Jiankui, who claimed to successfully use the gene-editing tool CRISPR to create genetically engineered children, are unknown, as he has not been seen publicly since January, AP reports.
Where it stands: A Chinese government investigation found in January that He "seriously violated" state regulations, per the New York Times.
- He was last seen in Shenzhen supervised by armed guards, per AP.
- The Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen said it terminated He's teaching and research activities in January, as well as his contract, per NYT.
Go deeper: The ethical red flags of genetically edited babies