(Yicai Global) Dec. 9 -- BGI Genomics has roundly rebuffed a rumor going around on the microblogging site Weibo and causing alarm among the public, that the Chinese genome sequencing firm has modified the genes of at least 58 babies and intends to custom-make human beings.

“This is like a plot from a sci-fi movie and is completely inconsistent with reality,” BGI Genomics said yesterday. The matter has been reported to the Cyberspace Administration of China and the posts have been deleted, it added.

The rumors stem from a 2017 paper published in the British scientific journal Nature called “Correction of a Pathogenic Gene Mutation in Human Embryos” in which BGI participated, the Shenzhen-based firm said. The research was led by a Russian-American team and BGI only took part in the nucleic acid sequencing of embryonic stem cells in the project, as well as a safety evaluation, it said.

The research fully complied with the 14-day rule, which only allows embryo research until the 14th day after fertilization, after which embryos begin to develop specialized cells and grow into their human form, BGI said.

Editor: Kim Taylor