Without it, Sry stays off. And if Sry doesn’t speak, the embryo becomes female, regardless of its XY chromosome pair. To test this, Tachibana’s team tried three separate strategies.

Last week, scientists announced the birth of eight healthy babies in the United Kingdom conceived with DNA from three people.

Ultimately, all the embryos at the clinic were saved, preserving options for families like Baucas'. "Things like this shouldn't happen, period," Baucas said.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — The Saturday bombing of a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, miraculously did not destroy any embryos kept in the building. Patient Emery Baucas was at work ...