In-vitro gametogenesis on YouTube – epistemological performances from Strasbourg and Los Angeles

Abstract

YouTube hosts two records of interest for those interested in how human-stem-cell-derived gametes are made: one from the USA and one from France. Human-stem-cell-derived gametes, sometimes called ‘artificial gametes’ or ‘synthetic gametes’, are the result of in-vitro gametogenesis (IVG). IVG is a technology in the making that attempts to create oocytes and spermatozoa from embryonic cells or skin cells. This article presents some elements of these videos in written form, and asks what information is publicly available to ‘think with’, and what is not, when it comes to imagining the future of human reproduction. Focusing on the staging of science, this article argues that these videos represent ways of understanding and interrogating science, and display epistemological performances. The comparison is helpful to analyse how a shared global bioscientific authority is valued in these two locations, pointing at areas 'back stage' that the social sciences can illuminate.