Doug Turnbull on the fruits of his labor
"When the vote came through there was a whoop of joy...That's why people do research, isn't it.”
Doug Turnbull, quoted in Nature
The British scientific community is still basking in a glow of unexpected validation after its House of Commons voted 382-128 to legalize so-called "three parent" in vitro fertilization. Nobody expected such a resounding victory for the exciting new technique, which would allow wanna-be mothers with defective mitochondria to create babies free of the associated disease - and grandchildren too, from that point onward.
Turnbull, a professor of neurology at Newcastle University, has spearheaded the scientific efforts and was at the vote to witness the reaction firsthand.
In an era when the word of scientists seems to be perpetually doubted - from climate change denialists and anti-vaxxers to bogus nutritionists and homeopaths - it is refreshing to see such overwhelming support for the great work that researchers are doing to help humankind.