Humans could reproduce using skin samples within 20 years, claims geneticist

It has played a key role in the evolution of life on Earth, allowing a mixture of genetic material to be passed on from generation to generation. But sex, which almost every animal and plant on the planet uses to reproduce, could be about to come to an end for one species – our own. An expert on the ethics of genetics at Stanford University has claimed humans may be on the cusp of a monumental change in the way we breed, using laboratories rather than the bedroom to create children. Within the next 20-40 years, parents will be able to select the embryos (embryo selection pictured) that are disease free and have certain traits, such as hair colour, they would like their children to have. Professor Hank Greely argues that couples will use genetic material from a few skin cells to create eggs which will then be fertilised using sperm samples taken from the prospective father.