The strange return of the Chinese researcher who genetically modified babies

After refusing four interview requests, He Jiankui accepted the fifth, but on the condition that he be presented as a "pioneer of genetic modification." He insists. In fact, this scientist has been making a noisy comeback on social networks for several months, despite his complicated status with the Chinese authorities and the international scientific community. He was the first to genetically modify human embryos, in 2018, sparking a global controversy . Mentioning this scandal and the dismay of countless researchers denouncing his methods does not bother Mr. He at all, who often posts photos of himself in a white coat in laboratories, his large bangs flattened on the right to cover a receding hairline. "It's a test that every pioneer must face," says He Jiankui in a telephone interview, comparing himself to figures who have changed the course of science, including Louis Pasteur.

This high opinion he has of his work is also evident in many of the messages he publishes on the X network, where he is making a dazzling comeback. " The world owes me a Nobel Prize," he allowed himself to write on May 25, alongside a photo of himself playing golf. Other tweets reveal a freewheeling researcher and could wrongly lead one to believe that they are a parody account: "Ethics is holding back scientific innovation and progress" or "Hey idiots. How many embryos have you genetically modified today?" The tone questions his understanding of the political context in his country. " Xi Jinping , give me back my passport!!!," he dared to demand on May 18, when he wanted to go and do his research in the United States. The authorities saw it differently.

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