How many times have each of us looked at a feature of ourselves and said, "I wish I hadn't been born this way?" It is the nature of human beings to be dissatisfied occasionally, and thoughts such as those are often fleeting. However, how would our world change if we could actually choose the traits that our children express? If we could change the genetic makeup of a sperm or egg before or shortly after fertilization, is it possible that we could attempt to create a "perfect" son or daughter, or at least a child that perfectly suits the wishes of its parents? The question is frightening and intriguing at the same time.

Of course, creating a child from a predetermined template is a goal far in the future, the ideas and techniques needed to accomplish this goal are already being investigated (but for different reasons). This branch of science is called gene therapy, and it is one of the fastest growing areas of biological science today. It is the aim of this website to provide an interested party with a basic understanding of the various types of gene therapy and the processes behind them. Due to the nature of our coursework, we will focus mainly on germline gene therapy, but other types of gene therapy will also be discussed. Although it is not the aim of this website to debate the ethics of gene therapy, a brief discussion is provided here.

Before one begins to contemplate this rather complicated area of biology, it is important to have a basic understanding of sexual reproduction and genetics. After reading the Introduction, feel free to delve into the world of Somatic Gene Therapy, Embryo Selection, and Germline Gene Therapy.

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