Eugenics: IVF “Genetic Optimization”
January 28th, 2026Via: CBS:
Big leaps in science have made a once-impossible, much-debated question come to life: Would you design your unborn child?
Kian Sadeghi, the 25-year-old founder and CEO at Nucleus Genomics, believes every parent has a right to do just that, selecting qualities they desire – from height to weight to intelligence. He calls it “genetic optimization,” and it’s part of a Silicon Valley push to breed “super-babies.”
Sadeghi dropped out of the University of Pennsylvania and started the company in 2021, inspired by a cousin who died of a rare genetic illness. Backed by investors and prominent tech entrepreneurs like Peter Thiel and Alexis Ohanian, Sadeghi says his company has already helped thousands of families.
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For $30,000, Nucleus offers a program called IVF+, which includes full DNA scans of both parents and up to 20 embryos conceived through in vitro fertilization. The results come back in the form of a sleek, user-friendly menu.
Advanced DNA screenings
The company screens embryo samples for more than 2,000 traits and conditions, including eye color, hair color, intelligence – even acne. It also can estimate genetic predisposition to medical conditions such as depression, autism and bipolar disorder.
Sadeghi says this “genetic optimization” allows parents to minimize disease while maximizing traits they prefer. However, critics have drawn comparisons to a different term: “eugenics.”
Research Credit: Skeletor322
