Entrepreneur Cathy Tie, often called “Biotech Barbie” has launched a new startup, Origin Genomics, following the closure of her previous firm, Manhattan Genomics, earlier this year.
Tie remains focused on her controversial mission to use advanced gene-editing tools to modify human embryos aiming to prevent severe inherited diseases.
She argues that the technology is ready to be handled with care rather than ignored.
Tie acknowledges the complex history of the field which has faced intense scrutiny since the infamous 2018 gene-editing experiment in China.
However, she maintains that private innovation is the only way forward in an environment where federal funding for such research is non-existent.
“There is no public funding available for research in the space,” she notes. “Everything is privately funded.”
Despite widespread ethical concerns regarding “designer babies” and the safety of germline editing, Tie is pushing for a more transparent regulated approach.
She believes that because the technology is becoming increasingly accessible, hiding from it is not a viable strategy.
“Biology is a double-edged sword – it can be used for good, to heal people, or it can be used for bad,” she explains.
“Stopping this research will only drive bad actors to do it secretively. There is no way to stop this. This is inevitable. The only way to proceed is to do it openly and transparently.
