Orchid:⣠Offering Parents the â˘Choice of a Genetically Enhanced Baby
In a world where science⣠fiction is becoming reality, a fertility startup called Orchid is offering prospective parents an extraordinary choice: have a regular baby or an Orchid baby. While a regular baby might âface various health challenges, from cancer to intellectual disabilities, an Orchid baby’s risk of these conditions is significantly reduced through â˘a process often referred to â¤as “genetic⤠enhancement.”
How⣠Orchid Works
Noor Siddiqui, the 29-year-old co-founder⢠of Orchid, âand her husband underwent âIVFâ at Stanford⢠in 2022, resulting in â˘16 embryos.⤠These⢠embryos were then⢠sent to Orchid’s lab in North âŁCarolina for extensive genetic testing. Unlike âtypical preimplantation testing, which only scans for alarming abnormalities, Orchid provides a comprehensive picture of each embryo’s genetic destiny. Currently, Orchid calculates the likelihood of an embryo developing any of the moreâ than 1,200 diseases and conditions â˘for âŁwhichâ we have⤠genetic information.
Orchid’s Early Success and Future âPotential
Despite being in its early stages, withâ just 16 employees and $12 million in âŁfunding, Orchid is⤠already present in 40 IVF clinics across the country and has thousands of âcustomers, âincluding several prominent figures inâ the tech industry. As the companyâ grows and technology advances, the scope of⢠what Orchid can calculate is⣠likely to expand, raising both hopes and concerns about â¤the future of genetic enhancement.
The Ethical Dilemma of Genetic Enhancement
The idea of genetic enhancement raises complex ethical questions. âIf Orchid’s technologyâ had existed when Siddiqui’s mother, who suffers from retinitis⣠pigmentosa,â was an embryo, and herâ parents âhad chosen a different embryo⢠to avoid⤠the condition, âSiddiqui herself would not exist. This hypothetical scenario highlights the potential unintended consequences of genetic enhancement⢠and the ethicalâ dilemmas it presents.
Theâ entire historyâ of human âexistence âis reducing suffering andâ making it so that more people getâ to participate more fully in society. Right?
Siddiqui argues that genetic enhancement is a continuation of â˘humanity’s efforts to reduce suffering and â˘create a âmore equitable society. She points out that certain populations, such as South Asians, have higher rates of conditionsâ like heart⣠attacks and diabetes, and that Orchid’s technology could help level the â˘playing field.
The âLimitations of Genetic Enhancement
However, Siddiqui acknowledges that â¤not âŁall disease is genetic and that â˘even with âOrchid’s technology,⢠suffering and âŁdisease will still exist. For example, only â10-15% ofâ cancers have a genetic component, meaning that 90% of people will stillâ develop cancer regardless of genetic enhancement. Orchid’s goal is to provide parents⣠with more information and âconfidence when making the most important decision of their lives: âhaving a child.
The Most Concerningâ Diseases for Prospective â¤Parents
According to Siddiqui, the diseases that âprospective⤠parents are most concerned âabout are pediatric and adult-onset⢠cancers, âbirth defects, and âŁneurodevelopmental⢠disorders. Many of these conditions are controlled by⢠the interaction of multiple genes, making themâ more challenging to predict and prevent through⤠genetic enhancement.
The Importance of Genetic Testing in Reproduction: An Interview with Noor âSiddiqui
The âPotential of Whole âŁGenome Sequencing
Noor Siddiqui,â the founder of Orchid, believes that whole genomeâ sequencing of embryos is a significant upgrade in the field of reproductive technology. Unlike existing companies like 23andMe that only test for a limited number of geneticâ variants, Orchid sequences the entire âŁgenome of embryos, providing a vast amount âŁof information on both monogenic and polygenic conditions. Siddiqui compares this technology to a â˘vaccine for all knownâ genetic diseases at⤠once.
The Personal Decision to⣠Use Orchid’s Technology
Siddiqui’s decision to use Orchid’s technology on herself was influenced by her personal interest in genetics and⣠reproductive âŁtechnology, as well as herâ mother’s experience. She believes that â¤reproduction is one of â¤the most fundamental aspects of life and has always âhad a keen interest in fertility and reproductive technology.
The Importance of Informed Decision-Making
Siddiqui âconsiders it negligentâ to âuse⢠outdated genetic testing technology, as it may miss hundreds of detectable â¤conditions. She â¤believes that parents who are not informed about the existence of new technology are being done a disservice and may even have grounds for legal â˘action if their child is born with a condition âŁthat â¤could⤠have been detected.
If your doctor doesn’t tell you that there’s a way for⣠you to screen for your child âto not have a condition thatâ would be either life-threatening or life-altering for themâIâ mean, âit’s already happened.
Addressing Concerns and âExpanding Access
Whileâ Orchid’sâ technology may âcurrently attract well-offâ optimizers, Siddiqui âemphasizes that the company has a philanthropic program to help families⣠who cannot⢠afford the âŁ$2,500 per embryo screening cost. She believesâ that expanding the menu of choice is essentialâ and that censoring information about one’s child is not appropriate.
The Sacred âŁNature of Reproduction and the Need for Innovation
Siddiqui acknowledgesâ that reproduction is a sacred and magnificent â˘process, butâ she believesâ that this is precisely why it deserves more care and attention. She points out that many women still experience vaginal⤠tearing duringâ childbirth and that⢠some even die, highlighting the need for more âenergyâ and engineering effort to â˘be put into reproductive health.
The Importance of Population âŁGrowth and âŁHuman Innovation
Siddiqui expresses concern about population decline, stating that â˘society will collapse if the population continues to shrink in the places we love.â Sheâ emphasizes âthe importanceâ of â˘humans as innovators and â˘creators, and believes that solving the issue of population decline is⤠critical.
Orchid: Revolutionizing Reproductive Technology
The Inspiration Behind theâ Name
When asked about the inspiration behind naming â¤her company Orchid, the âfounder explained that she wanted to choose âŁa name that would represent the company’s âmission while âalso making reproductive technology âŁseem less intimidating. After considering various flower âŁnames, she ultimately settledâ on Orchid, as she finds them to be beautiful and captivating.
Addressing⤠the Inevitable Theranos Comparison
The founder expressed her frustration with the inevitable comparison to Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, â¤a question she dreads being â¤asked. She finds it disheartening that any female CEO in a tech-adjacent field is constantly questioned and compared to other female fraudsters, â¤regardless of the⢠lack of connection between their companies âŁor actions.
It’s âa sad state of affairs whereâmy friends who aren’t even in health, theyâ say they get it âtoo. It’s like, any female CEO with any⣠tech-adjacent thing is constantly being questionedâby the way, âare you like this⣠other fraud? Do you want to comment on this other randomâ fraud that occurred that has absolutely nothing to do with you besides⤠theâ person⣠being the same âgender as you?
The âDouble Standard in âŁCredibility
The founder believes that there is noâ charitable interpretation of this line of questioning, other than acknowledging the deep-rooted misogynyâ in society. She points out that â˘men’s frauds âand failings are often overlooked, while a single woman’s actions are used to represent all femaleâ CEOs. In her view, society treats men asâ inherently credible, while women are met⢠with skepticism by â˘default.
Society treats men⢠as, like, default credible. â¤For a â˘woman, the default â¤is skeptical.
Thisâ interview has been edited⢠for length and clarity.
6 Comments
The future called, it wants its sci-fi plot backâwomen deciding the fate of generations!
Did the concept of mother nature just get a human face or what?
Let’s not pretend this isn’t the ultimate âchoose your playerâ scenario for humanity, shall we?
Sounds like someone’s taking “playing God” to a whole new level, doesn’t it?
Oh, suddenly the maternity ward turned into a selection committee, how intriguing!
Hazel Foster: A modern-day Genesis tale, but with a twistâwomen in charge!