PolygenX

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PolygenX a.k.a. PolygenX Research (renamed Genotribe) is a biotech-eugenics company co-founded by Jonathan Anomaly. The company has ties to neo-Nazi Martin Sellner and claims to have "developed a way for parents pursuing IVF treatment to analyse the genetic data of their embryos and identify which of them will have the highest IQ."[1]

Background[edit]

The company was registered on 18 November 2022 in Sheridan, Wyoming as a limited liability company under the name PolygenX Research but the company's website is simply titled PolygenX.[2][3] On 16 March 2023, the company changed its name to Genotribe.[4] The registrant company of PolygenX, Registered Agents IncWikipedia has been embroiled in multiple controversies, shady business dealings and has been described as a "haven for scammers".[5][6]

Investigation by Hope not Hate[edit]

In October 2024, an undercover investigation by Hope not Hate (HnH) revealed far-right associations of the company. The Chief Science Officer of PolygenX, Tobias Wolfram, is a member of the private Telegram chat of Martin Sellner who leads the Austrian branch of Generation Identity. Sellner has a criminal conviction for posting swastikas on the walls of a synagogue. According to HnH: "In January 2024, Wolfram posted the anti-immigrant slogan "we were never asked" in the channel" and "again in the same chat in April to criticise a leaflet organising a counter-protest against Martin Sellner in Steyregg, Austria."[1] Anomaly himself has a history of writing articles for far-right websites including Aporia Magazine and also appeared on the Lotus Eaters with Carl Benjamin. HnH further pointed out that Anomaly published an article on the Holocaust denial website The Unz Review.

Heliospect Genomics[edit]

PolygenX’s co-founders Jonathan Anomaly and Michael Christensen are involved in an affiliated company named Heliospect Genomics. According to HnH:

Another company working on genetics is registered at the same business address. It is called Heliospect Genomics, and has a very small online footprint except for a website that describes it as “a biotech startup at the forefront of genomic prediction” […] Heliospect Genomics, we understand, is the start-up behind PolygenX. We know that Michael Christensen is the CEO and founder of both. A science research website identifies Christensen as the point of contact for Heliospect, and an email from his representative clarified his role as the creator of both entities. PolygenX, a representative says, is a product, and Heliospect, we understand, is an affiliated company.[1]

Heliospect's research team have been exposed as a small group of far-right activists. One of these, Alexandros Giannelis, bought a book by Ian Stuart Donaldson, founder of the white supremacist skinhead group Blood and Honour as well as Nazi posters from a white nationalist music website (this information was leaked by Antifa after the site was hacked[7]). Another, Curtis S. Dunkel has published in the racist pseudoscholarly journal Mankind Quarterly and is associated with OpenPsych.[8] Heliospect Genomics website says its aim is the "improve human health and wellbeing through the advancement of genomic prediction."[9] Heliospect was controversially granted access to UK Biobank data in June 2023, while undercover video footage by HnH revealed the company is "marketing its services at up to $50,000 (£38,000) for clients seeking to test 100 embryos."[10] According to an article in The Guardian, Heliospect Genomics "appears to be preparing to publicly launch a service that allows parents who have conceived several embryos through IVF to select those most likely to have 'desirable' traits, such as height and IQ."[11] Their end product is supposedly PolygenX.[12] Aside from the ethical issues of polygenic embryo selection, some scientists have expressed skepticism of Heliospect's claims about the IQ screening of embryos. Heliospect alleges to already work with more than a dozen couples undergoing IVF.

Supporters[edit]

Malcolm and Simone Collins who have been described as an "elite breeding couple"[13] are supporters of PolygenX. The couple attended the far-right Natal Conference in 2023 alongside Jonathan Anomaly and outspoken eugenicist Diana Fleischman. Other speakers at the event included white nationalist Jared Taylor, Charles HaywoodWikipedia, Razib Khan and Kevin Dolan (a racist, sexist and misogynistic Mormon associated with DezNatWikipedia). A staunch supporter of PolygenX is Anatoly Karlin[14] an ableist and eugenicist who has argued in favour of killing infants with Down syndrome. Karlin has a long history of posting white supremacism online and in 2019 wrote: "I am quite happy that few blacks associate with Russia, considering the type of violence-ridden underclasses they tend to create in countries that open their doors to them... So yes, I'm racist and very happy with that."[15] In February 2024, Karlin attended and spoke at a Vitalia conference with Anomaly. He pretty much sums up the racist ilk PolygenX attracts.

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Superbaby Factory: Exposing the secretive company predicting the IQ of wealthy, elite offspring by Harry Shukman & Patrik Hermansson (Oct. 18, 2024) Hope Not Hate.
  2. ↑ Initial filing, Wyoming Secretary of State.
  3. ↑ https://polygenx.com/
  4. ↑ Name change, Wyoming Secretary of State.
  5. ↑ The Secrets Factory: Registered Agents Inc. has for years allowed businesses to register under a cloak of anonymity. A WIRED investigation reveals that its secretive founder has taken the practice to an extreme. by William Turton & Dhruv Mehrotra (Mar 5, 2024 2:17 PM) Wired.
  6. ↑ Are Wyoming’s Secretive LLC Laws Making State A “Haven For Scammers?” by Leo Wolfson (July 30, 2024) Cowboy State Daily.
  7. ↑ 21. Another psychologist in the Midgard data - Alexandros Giannelis works for the University of Minnesota. We had previously blocked him, likely for following far-right extremist accounts. We'd check to confirm but he locked down. by Late Night Anti-Fascists @LateNightAFA (2:02 AM · Dec 15, 2023) Twitter (archived from 20 Oct 2024 02:36:11 UTC).
  8. ↑ Curtis S Dunkel OpenPsych.
  9. ↑ Heliospect Genomics
  10. ↑ US startup charging couples to ‘screen embryos for IQ’: Heliospect’s services were marketed at up to $50,000 for 100 embryos, undercover footage shows by Hannah Devlin et al. (18 Oct 2024 09.04 EDT) The Guardian.
  11. ↑ What is genomic prediction and can embryos really be ‘screened for IQ’? A startup in the US, Heliospect, appears to be preparing to launch a service to enable parents to select ‘desirable’ traits by Hannah Devlin (18 Oct 2024 09.06 EDT) The Guardian.
  12. ↑ Super-Expensive Startup “Screening” Parents’ Embryos for IQ: "There are babies on the way." by Maggie Harrison Dupré (Oct 19, 6:00 AM EDT) Futurism.
  13. ↑ Cole, Samantha. The ‘Elite’ Breeding Couple Are Terminally Online Redditors Who’ve Gone Viral Before. Vice. 19 April 2023.
  14. ↑ Tweet. X. 19 October 2024.
  15. ↑ Comment. Reddit (webpage archive).
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