Scientists are seeking permission to create artificial sperm from a woman’s bone marrow, a technique that could remove the need for a biological father in producing children.
Researchers at Newcastle University say they only want permission to use the method for research. They claim the practice could be used to help infertile women and lesbian couples to have their own biological offspring.
The method involves extracting stem cells from a woman’s bone marrow and converting them into ‘sperm’ cells. These could then be used to fertilise an egg from another woman, producing an embryo with no biological father.
The researchers are currently applying for permission to begin developing the technique, which they believe could be used successfully to produce embryos within five years.
Mike Judge of The Christian Institute told the Daily Mail: “Children need male and female role models in their lives. Yes, there are children raised by single parents through all sorts of circumstances, but when you are talking about deliberately creating children in that way, that is morally wrong.”