Epigenetics
Is there a genetic switch that causes ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)?
We don't know the causes of ALS in most patients, but about 10 percent of cases are thought to be ...
Genome’s most confusing features a lot more fun when explained through art
How can cells that contain the same DNA end up so different from each other? That is not only a ...
Pseudoscience appropriates ‘epigenetics’ with promise of life-changing cures
Lots of real scientific terms – such as “neuro” or “nano” – get borrowed for a spot of buzzword scienceyness. Epigenetics is ...
5 Myths about GMOs
In the neverending debate about genetically modified foods, which myths do you believe? ...
Exposure to jet fuel may cause genetic birth defects in children
The Department of Defense is "actively considering" a major review of all scientific evidence to see whether exposure to toxic ...
Does epigenetics give credibility to placebo effect and mind’s healing powers?
In 2008, the National Institutes of Health announced that $190 million had been earmarked for epigenetics research over the following ...
Epigenetic ‘eraser’ can reset behavior, disease vulnerability and life experiences
Many epigenetic changes that occur in humans in genetic response to the environment are erased within the embryo. Certain diseases, ...
Epigenetics can help humans understand our ancient past
Some types of epigenetic modifications are directly influenced by environmental factors. Thus, characterizing and understanding the "epigenome" can help us ...
New technique gives researchers closer look at epigenetics
Scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed a new technique to more precisely analyze bacterial ...
Can the placebo effect serve as actual medical treatment?
Currently, studies have shown that our genes can be modified by epigenetic factors such as; diet, life experiences, beliefs, perceptions, ...
Some epigenetic changes in DNA are heritable, and research is beginning to explain how
In recent decades scientists have learned that DNA alone is not destiny, and they’ve been focusing on another layer of ...
Epigenetics might explain relapse in patients of substance addiction
One of the major challenges of cocaine addiction is the high rate of relapse after periods of withdrawal and abstinence ...
Irrational measuring stick: The Venn Diagram of pseudoscientific nonsense
The curiously revered world of irrational nonsense has seeped into almost every aspect of modern society and is both complex ...
Lifestyle changes can’t alter DNA: Claiming it can is a public disservice
Lifestyle changes have profound effects on human health, more so than most blockbuster drugs. But despite their potency, supplements, exercise ...
Newly discovered DNA base added to genetic code
A sixth DNA base has been identified by researchers, adding to the five that were known to occur in the ...
Gut bacteria easy scapegoat to explain diseases, but connections hard to prove
Blamed simultaneously for obesity, diabetes, bowel disease and even Alzheimer’s the colonies of bacteria that live in our gut get ...
Forensic geneticists can now parse DNA of identical twins for use in courtrooms
Identical twins present exactly the same DNA profile as each other, and this has created legal conundrums when it was ...
Genetic changes in father’s sperm might explain autism risk
"DNA changes could explain why autism runs in families, according to study," The Independent reports. Research suggests a set of changes ...
Computer scientists compute missing parts of epigenetics map
A pair of computational biologists from UCLA and MIT developed a method that can fill in major gaps in large-scale ...
GENeS launches: New project provides journalists, NGOs, policy analysts scientific expertise on breaking stories
Journalists and policymakers take note: GENeS--Genetic Expert News Service--is now live! Turn to GENeS for independent expert analysis and commentary ...
Decisions and environment of a parent can genetically effect offspring
For the last few years and extremely hot topics has been epigenetics, which broadly speaking is the study of proteins ...
Interaction of environment, genetics may be responsible for more allergies in developed countries
In Western Australia, Curtin University's Brad Zhang has been looking at why Australians have one of the highest rates of ...
The Death of death? Review of “Evolving Ourselves” and unnatural selection
The meat of this controversial new book is the immense array of futurist and transhumanist possibilities for driving change on ...
Why we shouldn’t think of genes as language
When we talk about genes, we often use expressions inherited from a few influential geneticists and evolutionary biologists, including Francis ...
What makes genes tick?
The expectation is that by uncovering the switches and genes they control, scientists can add depth to genetic findings like ...