China halts team's work on genetically-edited embryos

Chinese scientist He Jiankui, who claims to have altered the DNA of twin babies, speaks at the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing in Hong Kong. Photo: Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images

The Chinese government stopped the work of the research team that claims to have edited and implanted embryos that resulted in a twin birth earlier this month, ordering an investigation into their work, reports the AP.

The big picture: The international scientific community has largely reacted with outrage to the Chinese team's claim, fearing the implications of such work could hinder research due to the ethical and biological quandaries surrounding gene editing.