The Chinese scientist who created the world’s first “gene-edited” babies has been sentenced to three years in prison by the Chinese court

He Jiankui, a Chinese scientist from Rice University and Stanford, sent shockwaves through the world last year when he revealed that he had used gene-editing technology called CRISPR-Cas9 to change the genes of twin girls in order to immunise them from the HIV virus.

Jiankui’s coworkers, Qin Jinzhou and Zhang Renli, will also serve two years and 18 months in prison. The trio did not have the qualifications to work as doctors and had deliberately violated Chinese law, Xinhua said. “They’ve crossed the bottom line of ethics in scientific research and medical ethics”

In addition to serving three years in prison, he will pay $425,000, according to Xinhua. All three defendants have been banned for life from using human-assisted reproductive technology.

Jiankui has always been very pleased with his experiments and he believed that the procedure would bring him fame and fortune.

The experiment was labeled “monstrous” and a “huge blow” to the reputation of Chinese biomedical research and many are questioning whether Jiankui had obtained consent from the parents.

Jiankui and his coworkers started working on creating HIV-resistant babies in 2016, according to the court.

Genetic modification is banned in many countries, inlcuding the United States. Whether the procedure is safe is unknown and research suggests that the procedure may shorten the life expectancy of the twin girls.

Jiankui’s actions were “very dangerous” and “foolish” experts said.

The gene that jankui was targeting is called CCR5, which is a gene that immunises people from HIV. The problem is that CCR5 also helps fighting off infections. A study at the University of California, Berkeley, showed that those who were immune to the HIV-virus were 20% more likely to die before age 78.

The effect of the mutations carried by the twins is unclear.