Featured in Weekly Newsletter
Can the Egyptian fruit bat’s unusual genome show us how to fight deadly Marburg virus?
The Egyptian fruit bat's immune system enables it to peacefully co-exist with Marburg virus, which can cause a swiftly deadly ...
Genetics of socialization revealed through study of rare Williams Syndrome
One of the things that makes us human is how we socialize with one another. What drives our social behavior ...
Diagnosing infectious diseases like Zika or Dengue at home with a CRISPR kit
CRISPR-based home test can immediately detect disease DNA through blood or saliva ...
Developing vaccines that train our innate immune system to be stronger
It's possible to train our immune system to more accurately attack antigens ...
Uganda’s scientists strive to use biotechnology to solve agricultural, health and environmental challenges
It is morning time, we are in a hotel based at the center of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, ...
Boosting memory by combining electrical brain stimulation and learning
Low dose transcranial direct current stimulation have been the subject of much debate. Now, the technology is combined with cognitive ...
‘Biofortification’: Super-nutritious crops could help millions of undernourished children
An incredible 155 million children around the world are chronically undernourished, despite dramatic improvements in recent decades. In view of this, the ...
‘Algorithmic death spiral’: The failing mental health of our machines
Is my car hallucinating? Is the algorithm that runs the police surveillance system in my city paranoid? Marvin the android ...
Antibiotic resistance may be dangerous—but it’s hardly new
Despite media reports, antibiotics always faced microbe resistance. Can studying their genetics show us a path to new drugs ...
Organic vs conventional food fight: Focus on pesticides distracts from real environmental problems
Has GMO use really led to a “flood” of pesticide use, as critics contend? That’s not what the data show ...
Mythbusting gone wrong: How the ‘dangerous’ organic pesticide myth began
One of the things that surprised me in researching this story was that I could not find a single organic-approved ...
Who owns the DNA of ancient humans—and do they have rights?
The remains of a 6-inch long mummy from Chile are not those of a space alien, according to recently reported ...
A behind the scenes look at pesticide use in organic orchards, vineyards and fresh produce
This is part three of a four-part series attempting to separate fact from fiction regarding pesticide use on organic farms ...
Debating the need for genetic engineering of humans—there’s ‘nothing special’ about our DNA
One day in early spring, I received a unique email. Would I accept an invitation from Oxford University’s student debate ...
4 things that led to the myth that organic farmers use more pesticides than conventional farmers
This is part two of a four-part series attempting to separate fact from fiction regarding pesticide use on organic farms ...
Do organic farmers really use more pesticides than conventional farmers? Not even close.
This is part one of a four-part series attempting to separate fact from fiction regarding pesticide use on organic farms ...
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome may be linked to genetic mutations
It’s been called a parent’s worst nightmare, and one that very few of us have ever needed words to describe ...
‘The Farm Project’: Actress Zooey Deschanel’s advice on organic food, pesticides is short on science
The actress Zooey Deschanel cites pesticide use in advising Facebook users to avoid certain non-organic produce. Is that scientifically sound ...
Sex in space? An awkward talk we will need to have
As the prospect of Mars colonization grows on the public radar screen, sex talk is not as much taboo that ...
Viewpoint: Here’s what’s wrong with study suggesting glyphosate damages our gut health
Can glyphosate impact gut health? The Guardian reports on a team of scientists who claim to have demonstrated that it ...
Making sense of crowdfunding for unapproved stem cell treatments
When FDA approval for a technology or treatment lags behind demand, crowdfunding steps in. Desperate patients or their families launch ...
Viewpoint: How the Environmental Working Group and ‘Big Organic’ manipulate pesticide data to scare people
Consumers have a legitimate desire for transparency when it comes to their food - particularly when it comes to the ...
Does ‘brain stress’ play a key role in our obesity epidemic?
Keeping off weight is harder than it seems, but it could be due to how our brains are wired ...
USDA’s hands-off approach to gene-edited crops could revolutionize research and development
The US Department of Agriculture’s recent decision to stay out of the business of regulating gene-edited crops could be a ...
Gene Drive Files ‘cabal’—and biotech rejectionist efforts to derail research on technology with potential to fight crop pests
The email came from Roylan Saah, coordinator of Genetic Biocontrol of Invasive Rodents at Island Conservation, a non-profit dedicated to ...
Delving into our dreams—and why they evolve as we age
Although radically different in terms of their content and feel, the range of dream states are just as complex as ...
The ‘Big O’: How and why evolution brought us the female orgasm
Female orgasms aren’t necessary for reproduction. A comparative evolution study suggests they once might have been ...
