Human Spotlight
Cuddling may change your baby’s epigenome, improve their immune system over the long term
The amount of close and comforting contact that young infants get doesn't just keep them warm, snug, and loved. A ...
Podcast: Who should have access to gene-editing tools?
Scientists and researchers from major labs are putting their minds and grant dollars into gene editing tools like CRISPR, which ...
‘Semi-synthetic’ organism expands DNA base alphabet
Every living thing on Earth stores the instructions for life as DNA, using the four genetic bases A, G, C, ...
Countering alarmist health reporting with scientific savvy
Without even thinking about it, the survival instinct is for ever on, which is why, says Brunel University’s James Carney, a ...
Uptown rats? Rodents in New York City have genetically adapted to different neighborhoods
As a whole, Manhattan’s rats are genetically most similar to those from Western Europe, especially Great Britain and France. They ...
Proof the yeti exists? DNA analysis shows bone ‘samples’ came from bears
In the fall of 2013, Charlotte Lindqvist got a call from a film company making an Animal Planet documentary about ...
Anatomy of the demon Demogorgon from ‘Stranger Things’: Is there a real-life counterpart?
The Demogorgon, a creature from the hit Netflix show 'Stranger Things', resembles real life cellular slime mold ...
Video: World’s tiniest tape recorder made with CRISPR and built from microbes
[H]ere’s a use for the bacteria we bet you’ve never considered: Scientists at Columbia University Medical Center have created the world’s ...
Can we solve the patent issues that threaten CRISPR research?
[Editor's note: Lawrence Horn is President and CEO of MPEG LA, which provides licenses for standards and other technology platforms.] Although recent ...
Podcast: CRISPR co-creator Jennifer Doudna addresses ethics of human genome editing
In this episode of the Waking Up podcast, Sam Harris speaks with Jennifer Doudna about the gene-editing technology CRISPR/Cas9. They ...
Insecticide resistance threatens to derail malaria control in Africa
The largest genetic study of mosquitoes has found their ability to resist insecticides is evolving rapidly and spreading across Africa, ...
Five new genetic links to autism found
Five novel genetic variants have been linked to autism spectrum disorders (ASD), according to a new study. The research, released ...
Evolutionary tradeoffs: How DNA works so living things have a ‘competitive advantage’ to survive
Evolution is a game of trade-offs. Every trait an organism inherits may have benefits and drawbacks; what matters to natural ...
Evidence Earth is billions of years old abounds, so why don’t creationists believe it?
[Editor's note: Sabine Hossenfelder is a physicist and Research Fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies.] Planet Earth formed around ...
Sharpening CRISPR gene-editing accuracy with ‘molecular glue’
[A]lthough [CRISPR] technology reliably finds and cuts the targeted stretch of DNA sequence, fixing that cut as desired has been ...
Mom was right: Teenagers’ brains can’t process what’s important and what’s not
Adults are generally pretty good at being able to tell when a situation is worthy of extra time or concentration ...
What are the genetics behind this amazing-looking ‘two-faced’ cat?
Meet Quimera the cat—she’s no ordinary feline! You’ve probably never seen any animal quite like her. Her furry face is ...
Kissing cousins: Understanding the genetic risks and benefits when close relatives marry
Endogamy––the marriage of relatives––is a controversial cultural practice. It can play surprising roles in health and disease ...
How our autistic ancestors helped shape human evolution
[W]hen we talk about the autism spectrum – we are all “a bit autistic” – and we all fit somewhere ...
Health or ancestry? How to choose the right genetic test for you
Every so often, someone asks me which [genetics] test I recommend. And my answer boils down to one question: What ...
Viewpoint: How to choose the right consumer genetics test to map your family tree
Every so often, someone asks me which [genetics] test I recommend. And my answer boils down to one question: What ...
Chimeras: The genetics behind this amazing-looking ‘two-faced’ cat
Meet Quimera the cat—she’s no ordinary feline! You’ve probably never seen any animal quite like her. Her furry face is ...
Viewpoint: Newsweek’s surprisingly unscientific view of the genetics of obesity
[Editor's note: Dr. Charles Dinerstein is a retired vascular surgeon.] In a nod to science, Newsweek reported that there might be genetic underpinnings ...
Video: CRISPR can do much more than gene editing
Using the CRISPR–Cas9 system, scientists can do much more than gene editing—they can boost gene transcription or use fluorescent proteins ...
Should we ‘genetically modify’ humans to fit the demands of space travel?
It takes something special to be an astronaut – an extraordinary combination of bravery, fitness, intelligence, lightning-fast decision-making and calmness ...
Bacterial DNA used in innovative Hepatitis B vaccines
Two hepatitis B virus vaccines are currently on the market. Earlier this month, however, the Food and Drug Administration licensed ...
Why life-saving gene therapy isn’t available yet to children who need it most
[The first patient to permanently edit his DNA,] Brian Madeux, 44, of Arizona, is part of a clinical trial testing ...