Biotech Barbie Cathy Tie on gene-editing babies mission
The Story
Canadian entrepreneur Cathy Tie, who calls herself “Biotech Barbie,” has launched a startup to edit the genes of human embryos to prevent inherited diseases like cystic fibrosis and Huntington’s. Tie’s efforts come after her marriage to He Jiankui, the Chinese scientist who created the world’s first gene-edited babies and later served three years in prison. She separated from He three months after their wedding and relocated to New York with her dog last summer. Tie recently hired Carnegie Hall for her 30th birthday party, where she performed a piano concerto. She says her work should be done openly with regulatory approval and venture capital funding. Tie named her first human gene-editing company the Manhattan Project, drawing a parallel to the atomic bomb program. She argues that public funding is unavailable in this field, so entrepreneurs must show benefits to soften regulatory bans. Meanwhile, investors like Sam Altman and Brian Armstrong have backed rival gene-editing startups.
Key Facts
- Cathy Tie launched three separate biotech companies since the start of 2025 and lived in Los Angeles, Toronto, and New York.
- She attempted to move to Beijing but discovered she was banned from China, her country of birth.
- Tie married He Jiankui, who illegally created the first gene-edited babies (twins Lulu and Nana) and served three years in jail.
- He and Tie separated three months after their wedding.
- Tie wants to edit embryo genes to prevent cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s, and hereditary cancers.
- She claims the technical part of gene editing is not complicated; the hardest part is getting permission.
- Germline gene editing for reproductive purposes is banned in the UK, US, and China.
- Tie calls her company Manhattan Project (also known as Manhattan Genomics).
- Preventive, a rival startup, launched in October 2025 with investors including Sam Altman and Brian Armstrong.
- Armstrong previously listed gene editing “for disease prevention, or enhancement” in his “Gattaca stack” post.
- No information is available on the health or wellbeing of Lulu and Nana eight years after He’s experiment.
- China’s premier Li Qiang announced draft regulations in September 2025 promoting innovative development and accelerating R&D in biomedical technologies.
Conflicting Reports
No conflicting reports identified in the source article.
Still Unclear
- The current health and whereabouts of Lulu and Nana, the first gene-edited babies.
- Whether Tie’s Manhattan Project will receive regulatory approval or succeed technically.
- The specific details of Tie’s ban from China.
Misconceptions
No widespread misconceptions addressed in the source article.
Key Figures
- Cathy Tie – Canadian entrepreneur, known as “Biotech Barbie”
- He Jiankui – Chinese biophysicist, Tie’s former husband, creator of first gene-edited babies
- Sam Altman – OpenAI CEO, investor in Preventive
- Brian Armstrong – Coinbase CEO, investor in Preventive
- Li Qiang – Chinese premier, announced new regulations on biomedical technologies
Sources: The Guardian
