The father of in-vitro fertilisation leaves a legacy of millions of happy couples, and an unhappy Church
The pioneer behind the most significant advance in infertility treatment, a man whose contribution has helped millions of couples unable to produce progeny to give birth to offspring of their own, passed away in his sleep on April 10. Sir Robert Edwards was the scientist behind in-vitro fertilisation, the process by which a sperm fertilises an egg outside the human body, resulting in the birth of the first ?test-tube baby? in 1978. Since then, the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology estimates that about 5 million babies have been born using the technique. Edwards? research was not only a great scientific achievement?he received the Nobel prize for Physiology in 2010 and was knighted in 2011 for his efforts?but also a great example of how a man of science pursued the research he felt was right in the face of huge opposition. Dr Peter Braude, emeritus professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at King?s College, and who was at Cambridge when Edwards and his research partner Patrick Steptoe were developing IVF, recalls how Edwards stopped his research for two years after he published the first details on his method. ?He wanted to work out what the right thing to do was, whether he should continue or whether he was out on a limb.? Braude also recalls how Edwards used to collect donor eggs from women in Oldham, put them in test-tubes strapped to his leg to keep them warm, before catching the train to Cambridge.
Despite his dedication, and the obvious success of his technique, the Roman Catholic Church condemned his Nobel prize in 2010, saying the creation of life should remain the domain of intercourse between a man and woman, not the result of lab work. It is a blessing, then, that Edwards had a broader mind?for he is now hailed as a hero by the gay and lesbian community, who can finally start families of their own thanks to his great achievement.