Human Genetics Features
The GLP tackles innovations in human genetics and biotechnology. We highlight the work of our own writers, as well as that of contributors from around the Web. The GLP does not take a position on genetics-related issues; any opinions expressed belong to the authors.
Categories include:
- CRISPR and gene editing
- Gene therapy
- Stem cell research
- Genetic diseases
- Synthetic biology
- Epigenetics
- Biodrugs (pharmacogenetics)
- Personal genomics
- Ancestry and evolution
- Ethics and regulations
Helpless at birth: Why human babies are different than other animals
Big brains and narrow hips were long blamed for the relative helplessness of human babies at birth. But the energy ...
If DNA can predict facial construction, how can we ever have genetic privacy?
DNA can now predict your facial structure. What does that mean for personal privacy? ...
Using CRISPR to block production of HIV in infected cells
Contracting HIV is no longer the death sentence that it was in the 1980s and early 90s. The first cases ...
Viewpoint: Why we aren’t yet on the verge of a preemie prediction test
Earlier this month, I saw an interesting juxtaposition of newly-published papers making headlines. One was about predicting breast cancer recurrence ...
Can we eat our way to better sleep? Why probiotics might help
Our gut microbiome controls much more than we know - it even helps regulate the sleep cycle. Stressed medical students ...
A view from CRISPRcon: Hope, promise and ‘an unmistakable sense of urgency’
The title of this article is partially borrowed from a fascinating Lightning Presentation delivered by John Doench of Broad Institute ...
Viewpoint: Expansion of BRCA screening creates need to know more about breast cancer, treatments
Consumer DNA tests can now check for breast-cancer-causing BRCA mutations, however, cancer risk is highly misunderstood ...
We need transplantable organs. How far should we go to get them?
Human organs are vital to saving human lives, but how far should we go to create them? ...
How dreams may help us declutter our brains and solve problems
Do you remember your dreams from last night? In how much detail? Were they related to anything you experienced during ...
How do you know ‘pseudoscience’ when you see it?
Ontario Correactology Health Care Centres offer 'natural' ways to manage pain, but they're not scientifically proven ...
Looking for a memory boost? Forget crossword puzzles and get more sleep
People try numerous methods to stave off the memory decline associated with old age, but how many of them actually ...
Who should pay for million-dollar life-saving gene therapies?
While life-changing and life-saving gene therapies are going on the market, they have price tags that many cannot pay for ...
Does language change the way our brains see the world?
Picture a sunlit Grecian sea or the deep hues of Santorini’s rooftops. They’re both called “blue” in English. But to ...
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 ...
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 ...
‘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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
New forensic tool: Using DNA to predict hair, eye and skin color
On May 14, a man walking along the shore on Gabriola Island in British Columbia came upon a washed-up human ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Viewpoint: Here’s why Eric Lander’s praise for James Watson struck a nerve
"As Twitter explodes, Eric Lander apologizes for toasting James Watson,” raged the headline from STAT on Monday, May 14 as the ...
