Biomedicine & Disease
The world needs GM potatoes
At least one conventional crop breeder and even an organic farmer consider genetically modified crops worth being allowed on the ...
Is there something missing from the New York Times story on GE oranges?
Here's what I like about Amy Harmon's New York Times story: It's very nicely written, nicely organized, and it spins ...
RNA drugs target genes that were once off-limits
A new class of medicines could give doctors the ability to awaken underperforming genes in patients who currently have no ...
Smithsonian’s genetics exhibit inspires mixed review
Smithsonian's new exhibit explains how the human genome relates to health, medicine and ethics, but not really how it works ...
Alzheimer’s blood test edges closer
For now, there is no definitive test for Alzheimer's disease. Doctors rely on cognition tests and brain scans. So one of ...
A small farmer’s view of Kauai anti-biotech bill
It would be wonderful if farmers could stand in their fields, wave their arms and weeds, insects and plant diseases ...
Next-generation sequencing, with love
Last week, researchers at the University of Oxford announced that the first baby had been born after undergoing a technique which can ...
£250,000 synthetic burger may not be to everyone’s taste
The burger that will weigh in at 5oz, has cost £250,000 to produce, and could create a slice of history ...
Single genetic glitch may explain most allergies and asthma
Researchers think there may be a common genetic driver behind almost all allergic diseases ...
Can crop biotech save the cassava?
Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) and cassava mosaic disease (CMD) are currently two major viral diseases that severely reduce cassava ...
Are you ready for a tall glass of GE? Grist’s take on transgenic orange juice
It’s rare that us lowly eaters experience any personal gain from genetically modified food. But over the weekend the New ...
‘Three-parent’ embryos: US should follow UK’s example and prepare for approval
The UK recently announced plans to approve "three parent" IVF techniques and both the United States and European Union should ...
NIH begins gene therapy trial for Parkinson’s disease
All eyes were on Perry Cohen when he froze at the microphone. His voice failed him. He couldn’t read his ...
Scientists devise new stem cell-based approach to studying epilepsy
A new stem cell-based approach to studying epilepsy has yielded a surprising discovery about what causes one form of the ...
Five women talk about life after BRAC1 diagnosis
Sophisticated tests can reveal whether people with a family history of breast and ovarian cancer carry a genetic mutation that ...
Genetic exceptionalism and privacy
Despite privacy fears, genetic information may be less damaging than other forms of personal medical data ...
Fate of Florida oranges rests on whether activists succeed in debasing GM debate
In a journalistic tour de force, New York Times reporter Amy Harmon offers a thoughtful deconstruction of how politics and ...
Egg donation: Some ‘progressives’ say women shouldn’t control own bodies
When stem cell research and egg donation are the issue, some of the same diehard advocates of women’s rights invoke ...
Hawaii science ‘Swat Team’ engages public fears fanned by anti-GMO activists
Hawaii is in the crosshairs of anti-GMO campaigners. Two bills—one on Kauai and another on the Big Island—are being debated ...
UK scientists develop brain disease therapy
UK scientists have developed a new stem cell therapy that could, in the best case scenario, offer a "largely curative" ...
Scientists ID genetic basis for late-onset Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer's disease affects one in eight elderly Americans. The disease is thought to simply be a part of getting older; as one ...
Stricter standards sought to curb stem-cell confusion
Pamela Robey is used to disappointing the scientists who send samples, anxious to know whether the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) ...
Purdue scientists identify two genes in soybean that could prevent $250 million in lost yield
Purdue University researchers have identified two genes within the soybean genome that are highly resistant to a soilborne pathogen that ...
Do very small embryonic-like stem cells exist?
The existence of very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs) has been hotly debated by scientists since they were first reported ...
Genetic testing improved student learning in personalized medicine class
Students who had their genome tested as part of a groundbreaking medical school course on personalized medicine improved their knowledge ...
Preparing for the inevitable: drug resistant malaria
As parasite populations evolve and develop the new gene variants needed to evade current malaria drugs, scientists are faced with the ...
Genetic descrimination claims on the rise
New lawsuits mark stepped up enforcement of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. How are employers adapting? ...
