A breakthrough dubbed ‘holy grail’ of fertility research may be able to start the trend of single parent conception as babies of the future may be born to one person People could soon be able to have a sprog entirely on their own using lab-grown sperm and eggs.

It means one person could provide both elements using genetically re-programmed stem or skin cells. The technology would also allow throuples to have a baby in “multiplex parenting”, same sex pairs to both be biological parents, and remove any age barriers to having a child. Boffins are making such rapid strides in the field that the UK’s fertility watchdog is now urgently considering different ways people may wish to procreate.

But they are facing a bucketload of ethical dilemmas. In-vitro gametes (IVGs) – lab-grown eggs or sperm from skin or stem cells – are the “holy grail” of fertility research. Silicon Valley chiefs are ploughing cash into the science and it could be available within two years, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority board heard last week. Its chair Julia Chain was so astounded by the progress and radical opportunities that she declared: “It feels like we ought to have Steven Spielberg on this committee.”

HFEA boss Peter Thompson said in-vitro gametes could “provide new fertility treatment options for men with low sperm counts and women with low ovarian reserve.”

But having a baby alone could mean much higher risks of genetic disorders, experts warned.

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