British scientists have created sperm using female stem cells. This breakthrough suggests that lesbian couples could potentially conceive their own child that shares both parents’ genetic makeup.
The next step for the University of Newcastle team is to use their findings from previous experiments that manipulated male bone marrow cells into sperm cells, and apply for permission to do the same with samples from a woman. Bone marrow tissue essentially provides scientists with a blank genetic slate, and opposed to stem cells, they could better offer lesbian couples a chance to make their own baby, sans dude.
While this amazing advancement remains in its infancy, Prof. Karim Nayernia, who heads the Stem Cell Biology research at Newcastle University, still faces the issue that only males have the Y chromosomes,which trigger the cell division process known as meiosis that leads to the development of an embryo-to the creature we call a human baby. Also that in 2006, “us[ing] sperm derived from male embryonic stem cells to fertilize mice to produce seven pups, six of which lived to adulthood” the test tube mice did suffer from health problems that are directly related to being created in a fucking laboratory. Basically, lab babies aren’t perfect just yet.
However, Nayernia remains optimistic about the potential of using lab-grown sperm from women to successfully inseminate an egg. Scientists also project that as this biotechnology continues to advance, that gay men may someday be able donate their tissue that could be used to create a lab-grown egg, then be fertilized by his partner’s sperm and placed in the uterus of a surrogate moms.
Lesbian separatists rejoice, your theoretical practices can now actually happen. And we’re one step closer to artificial life for that matter.
The hetero implications are clear: gay people don’t need you anymore, and Christianity is doomed. Artificial life and cyborgs are one step closer to being real. So deal with it, grandpa.
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