Biotechnology
Mars conundrum: How do we explore without contaminating the Red Planet?
Space exploration experts worry over what will happen if a human expedition introduces Earth's microbes to Mars. Are those concerns ...
NASA Twins Study finds thousands of epigenetic changes in astronaut Scott Kelly
When astronaut Scott Kelly returned to Earth after a year floating about the International Space Station, he was noticeably different from his ...
Viewpoint: Taxpayer-funded Canadian news agency promotes ‘fake news’ about glyphosate herbicide’s health risks
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation interviewed anti-GMO activist scientist Theirry Vrain and published an article featuring several false and misleading claims ...
France rejects 5-year renewal for glyphosate herbicide; wants 3-year license instead
France will oppose a European Commission proposal to renew authorisation for controversial weedkiller glyphosate for five years instead of 10, ...
Bernie Sanders, 10 Senate Democrats push USDA for ‘consumer-friendly’ GMO label
Senate Democrats are pushing the Agriculture Department to create a labeling standard for products made with genetically modified organisms (GMO) that ...
Large long-term farm study finds no statistically significant cancer link to glyphosate herbicide
A large long-term study on the use of the big-selling weedkiller glyphosate by agricultural workers in the United States has ...
Targeting RNA with CRISPR could reverse half of known pathogenic point mutations
The scope of CRISPR-based research has […] expanded because of the introduction of two new concepts. First, researchers began to ...
Gene therapy creates boy’s replacement skin from his stem cells
Doctors treated a 7-year-old boy’s devastating genetic skin disease—junctional epidermolysis bullosa—by genetically modifying his stem cells to create a new ...
Immortal dictators: Is there a downside to life-extending technologies?
Suppose there was a country ruled by an evil dictator. Further, suppose the entire world was plagued by a terrible ...
Artificial intelligence fears could lead to over-regulation
[A]s we begin to realise [artificial intelligence] opportunities, the potential risks increase: that AI will proliferate, uncontrolled and unregulated, in ...
Bacteria-armed mosquitos approved for US release in fight against Zika, dengue and yellow fever
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the use of a common bacterium to kill wild mosquitoes that transmit ...
Food fears: How anti-science myths—like ‘clean eating’ and GMO health risks—make eaters anxious
We talk about food in the negative: What we shouldn’t eat, what we’ll regret later, what’s evil, dangerously tempting, unhealthy ...
‘Science Moms’ documentary counters anti-GMO, anti-vaccine misinformation
In an era of fear-based marketing targeted to parents, one group of moms hopes to launch a movement of science-minded ...
How the ‘Dunning-Kruger’ effect explains public’s anti-GMO views
[A] new study from Carnegie Mellon University has provided key information on what factors influence public acceptance of GMOs and ...
Video: Dissecting claim that Canadian professor is a ‘Monsanto sock puppet’
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation recently brought forth allegations that professor Peter Phillips of the University of Saskatchewan is a Monsanto ...
New Zealand farmers group drops lawsuit, paving way for local GMO bans
Federated Farmers has dropped a legal battle against rulings allowing regional councils to decide whether genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can ...
Viewpoint: ‘Gattaca’ reminds us that gene editing has dark possibilities
[Editor's note: Osagie Obasogie is a professor of bioethics at the University of California-Berkeley.] Set in the not-too-distant future, the ...
How the Midwest became the Silicon Valley of agriculture
Matthew Crisp, president and CEO of Benson Hill Biosystems, [says] the rural zones of Midwestern America are proving fertile ground for ...
Genetic engineering ‘fastest method’ to save Florida citrus industry from greening disease
[Editor's note: Manjul Dutt is a research assistant scientist and Jude Grosser is a research professor, both at the University of ...
USDA scraps overhaul of GMO and gene edited crop regulations that biotech advocates viewed as ‘unscientific’
The Trump administration withdrew a proposed USDA rule change made by the Obama administration that would have been the first ...
Neurologic disorders may be linked to brain’s immune system
New research suggests there could be a link between certain disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, and the brain's inability to clear ...
Sequenced potato genomes could speed development of disease-resistant varieties
Examining the ancestors of the modern, North American cultivated potato has revealed a set of common genes and important genetic ...
Video: Exploring the possibilities offered by CRISPR gene editing
The CRISPR-Cas9 system has revolutionised gene-editing, but cutting DNA isn’t all it can do. From turning gene expression on and ...
Will herbicide drift damage push non-GMO farmers to buy dicamba-resistant seeds?
About 4 percent of all soybean crops planted in the United States have been damaged by a weed killer this ...
Closing gap between rich and poor farmers: CRISPR gene editing targets disease, pests and climate
Gene editing technology could revolutionize the way scientists breed high-yielding drought, disease and pest resistant, quality plant seeds, greatly reducing ...
Two of a kind? Twins offer unique glimpse into human development
In the world of genetics, identical twins offer a valuable source for study. And they've shown that our genetic makeup ...
GMO canola high in omega-3 oils up for regulatory approval in Australia
The first genetically modified canola with health benefits is being scrutinised by [Australia's] Office of the Gene Technology Regulator. The ...
