Featured in Weekly Newsletter
US regulators grapple with oversight of New Breeding Techniques (NBTs)
In the first installment of this series, we looked at the regulatory framework in the US for the products of ...
Can consumer genetic tests actually make us healthier?
“I believe genetic testing saved my life,” says Kim Horner, author of “Probably Someday Cancer." ...
Gene-edited animals could improve agricultural productivity. But could there be unintended consequences?
The purported birth [in November] of the world’s first gene-edited human babies .... spurred a wave of global outrage .... [T]he ...
CRISPR represents potential for huge change. But will the public trust it?
The charged language around the recent gene-editing controversy is driving an inaccurate assessment of risks ...
New biotech crop-breeding technologies struggle for traction across much of Africa
"Multinational companies from the developed world don’t want any scientific progress going on in Africa," says Ugandan researcher ...
We’ve long neglected the human virome—now we need to figure out what all those viruses do
A continuous war is fought on our body surfaces, and we haven’t a clue who’s winning ...
Viewpoint: Scientific ignorance fuels skepticism of crop biotechnology
This one question is an effective test of scientific ignorance ...
This gene gets blamed for migraines and a litany of other health issues. Reality is more complex
The story of the MTHFR gene shows that genetics is a probabilistic science ...
Fighting weeds: Can we reduce, or even eliminate, herbicides by utilizing robotics and AI?
A quick look at some of the technical strategies being pursued in farming robotics and AI ...
Podcast: Jon Entine, Kevin Folta, Perry Hackett on how gene editing could dampen the partisan GMO divide
How do you win over people who view crop biotechnology and corporate influence as threats? One answer may be gene ...
What martyred Thomas Becket and his holy lice can teach us about evolution
It’s a tale of murder, sex, and vermin. And gorillas. Reader discretion advised ...
Viewpoint: With reasonable regulation, we can turn wild plants into food with gene editing
The crops we rely on today have been bred over thousands of years to enhance certain characteristics. For example, sweetcorn ...
Viewpoint: Parents’ anti-GMO fervor just might contribute to children’s allergies
Eating organic and avoiding GMOs has no effect on food allergies. But the mentality underlying GMO avoidance and overly-protective parenting ...
Why you could be genetically programmed to respond to placebos
Confounding drug research, some people appear genetically programmed to believe the placebo they take during drug trials actually works ...
What the CRISPR babies can teach us about the failings of ethical oversight
This isn't just about process, about ethical boxes left unchecked ...
Podcast with Dr. Paul Offit: Striking similarities between anti-biotech and anti-vaccine activism
The anti-vaccine and anti-GMO movements are increasingly overlapping in methods and outlook ...
Some animal species never get cancer. What can we learn from them?
The search for clues has led researchers to study animals who don’t develop cancer at all ...
Viewpoint: The public loses when a ‘prestigious’ journal such as Nature indulges in political activism
Is this really about science, or is something else going on here? ...
Viewpoint: Putting CRISPR babies in context—learning from the past instead of panicking in the present
The brouhaha against the gene-edited twins echoes recent history of alternative reproductive technologies ...
Magic and morality: Why some consumers are afraid of GMOs
In the eyes of Susan Schenck, GMOs are pretty much the worst thing going in food. As the author of ...
Why some types of obesity are worse than others
Where you put on weight is as important as how much you put on ...
Ugandan researchers look to biotechnology to bolster food production in the face of climate change
As the impact of climate change continues to grow worldwide, farmers are likely to face new challenges in the form ...
Viewpoint: Let’s hope the Chinese gene editing fiasco doesn’t lead to a cruel and unnecessary ban on germline gene therapy
A backlash could be hugely counterproductive. So let's start with the facts ...
Whole Foods embraces slow-growing chickens: Why that’s not so environmentally sustainable
There is a movement, pushed by Whole Foods, to go back to slower-growing chickens. This is problematic from a sustainability ...
How tiny ‘organs-on-a-chip’ could transform medical research
Researchers have pioneered what may be the most accurate simulation of kidney function to-date ...
Onto the grill: But are consumers ready to embrace—and eat—lab-grown meat?
It’s been a busy summer for food-based biotech. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration made headlines when it approved the ...
Why did Tanzania just pull the plug on its GMO crop trials?
When the Tanzanian government announced Friday [November 23] they were ending field trials of genetically engineered crops in the country ...
