Nucleus is a young, eye-catching genetic software company that says it can analyze genetic tests on IVF embryos to score them for 2,000 traits and disease risks, allowing parents to choose some and reject others. This is possible because of the way our DNA shapes us, sometimes powerfully. As one subway banner reminded New York commuters: “80% of height is determined by genetics.”
The day after the campaign launched, Sadeghi and I had a brief argument online. He was at X demonstrating a phone app that allows parents to select characteristics such as eye color and hair color. I snapped back, saying that this all sounded a lot like Uber Eats—another crappy, hassle-free future dreamed up by entrepreneurs, but this time you'd pick a kid.
I agreed to meet Sadeghi that evening at the train station under a sign that read: “IQ is 50% genetic.” He appeared in a down jacket and told me that the campaign would soon cover 1,000 carriages. It wasn't long ago that this secret technology was being whispered about at dinner parties in Silicon Valley. But now? “Look at the stairs. The whole subway is genetic optimization. We're making it mainstream,” he said. “I mean, we normalize it, right?”
Normalize what exactly? The ability to select embryos based on predicted traits could lead to healthier individuals. But the traits mentioned in the subway—height and IQ—focus public attention on cosmetic choices and even outright discrimination. “I think people will read this and start to realize, wow, now this is an option I can choose. I can have a taller, smarter, healthier child,” Sadeghi says.
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Nucleus received seed funding from Founders Fund, an investment firm known for its love of contrarian bets. And embryo scoring is fine – it's an unpopular concept, and professional groups say genetic predictions are unreliable. So far, leading IVF clinics still refuse to perform these tests. Doctors are concerned, among other things, that they will create unrealistic expectations for parents. What if little Johnny doesn't do as well on the SAT as his fetus score predicted?
The ad campaign is a way to put an end to such gatekeeping: If a clinic doesn't agree to order the test, potential parents can take their business elsewhere. Another embryo testing company, Orchid, notes that strong consumer demand has pushed Uber to make early forays into regulated taxi markets. “Doctors are essentially being pushed to use it not because they want to, but because they will lose patients if they don’t,” Orchid founder Noor Siddiqui said during an online event last August.
