Wellcome Trust pledges £10m to human life creation project

The Wellcome Trust, the world’s largest medical charity, has pledged an initial £10 million towards a ground-breaking and controversial project aimed at constructing the basic building blocks of human life from scratch.

Once deemed beyond the boundaries of acceptable science, the project has reignited fierce ethical debate. Critics caution that such research could pave the way for genetically engineered “designer” babies and may have irreversible consequences for future generations.

Despite the concerns, the Wellcome Trust has defended the investment, arguing that the research holds immense promise, particularly in accelerating treatments for currently incurable diseases.

Dr Julian Sale of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, a key member of the research team, hailed the initiative as a monumental breakthrough, calling it the “next giant leap in biology”.

Nevertheless, critics remain wary, warning that the project could be exploited by unethical actors seeking to produce enhanced or modified humans. They are calling for stringent regulation and comprehensive ethical oversight to govern the work.