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
Body odor fingerprint: How your unique smell could help reveal cancer or COVID infections
From the aroma of fresh-cut grass to the smell of a loved one, you encounter scents in every part of ...
Here’s the straight poop about fecal transplants
Fecal transplants carry a certain ick factor for many people. But there is a legitimate medical use for them -- ...
Headlines claim that almost half of all drinking water contains high-levels of ‘dangerous’ PFAS ‘forever chemicals’. What does the science say?
The headline “New Study Finds PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' in Drinking Water from 45% of Faucets Across US” led many news ...
Is there an evolutionary explanation for homosexuality in animals, including humans?
Since gay couples have fewer children, the high frequency of same-sex relationships in humans is puzzling from an evolutionary point ...
Autism increase mystery solved? No, it’s not vaccines, GMOs, glyphosate—or organic foods
A change in how we diagnose and report autism and not vaccines, glyphosate or chemtrails is the prime mover as ...
Why it’s so critical to move beyond liberal rejectionism of human biodiversity
The way in which evolutionary explanations can be so readily applied to apparent differences in human psychology does highlight the ...
On the anniversary of Kristallnacht, as the Israel-Hamas War rages, a DNA data leak of Jewish 23andMe customers raises fears of modern-day Jewish yellow badges
Tonight is the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht, “The Night of Broken Glass.” On November 9 and 10, 1938, Storm Troopers, ...
GLP podcast/video: BBC corrects botched organic farming report; Happy 41st birthday, GMO insulin! Scientific American a ‘scientific sewer’?
Facing intense criticism from experts, the BBC was pushed to correct a deeply misleading story about the benefits of organic ...
Viewpoint: Activists falsely claim Bill Gates orchestrated flare-up in malaria cases so he can ‘cash in’ on eradicating it
The eight cases of locally transmitted malaria recently reported in the U.S. – the first in 20 years – have ...
Twitter/X’s race to the disinformation bottom: Are we losing a valuable forum for rational discussion?
While many users are fleeing Twitter/X in disgust at the turn it has taken toward encouraging the spread of conspiracy ...
Blame human evolution for corporate jargon and thick academic prose
For anyone who’s ever worked in a large organization, this kind of message will be depressingly familiar: “Do you have ...
Viewpoint: Vaccine-rejectionist Jessica Biel’s foray into selling children’s medicine reinforces why she should stick to acting
The deluge of the use of the term "natural" for product promotion continues unabated. But perhaps it's getting stale because ...
CRISPR-based mosquito suppression system could reduce child mortality and aid economic development in Africa
Malaria remains one of the world’s deadliest diseases. Each year malaria infections result in hundreds of thousands of deaths, with ...
Viewpoint: Scientific American has become a ’scientific sewer’, promoting ideological rubbish on the evolution of male-female differences, claims University of Chicago biologist Jerry Coyne
I read this new article in Scientific American claiming that women constituted a high proportion of hunters in early hunter-gatherer ...
How to argue about ‘race’: Charles Murray and Adam Rutherford are not so far apart
Shortly before the killing of George Floyd by a white Minneapolis police officer in May this year, two (now tragically ...
Happy 41st birthday, genetically-engineered insulin. Your approval by the FDA in 1982 took 5 months. How many years would it take now?
October 29th marks the 41st anniversary of one of biotechnology’s most significant milestones — the approval by the Food and ...
Will AI make biology textbook authors redundant? Here’s one author’s view of ChatGPT
I just used ChatGPT for the first time. Initially, I was concerned about my future as the chatbot near-instantaneously answered ...
Genetic medical astrology? Nutrigenomic DNA tests: Can you prime your health by tailoring diet and exercise to your biology?
"The promise of genetic testing is that it can tell you more about the way you're built so that you ...
How octopi can edit their own RNA to rapidly respond to environmental changes
How organisms rapidly respond to a challenge: For an octopus, that might be a sudden plunge in water temperature, which ...
GLP podcast/video: Artificial wombs coming soon? The dangers of ketamine; Banning glyphosate would be disastrous
Premature babies might complete their gestation in artificial wombs called "biobags" in the coming years. The anesthetic ketamine might be ...
Why worthless drugs sometimes seem to work — What we can learn from the FDA’s withdrawal of the decongestant phenylephrine
Last month, some of the most iconic over-the-counter name brand medicines took a hit. The FDA’s Nonprescription Drug Advisory Committee (NDAC) unanimously ...
‘Judges as gatekeepers’: Court rejects ‘predatort’ lawyers’ claim that Lexapro used during pregnancy led to children’s autism
Judicial opinions don’t evidence a clear enough understanding of the scientific method and invite push-back from an aggressive bar ...
Unraveling the mystery of who gets lung cancer and why
Why do some heavy smokers never get lung cancer? And why do some people who never smoke get lung cancer? ...
Perpetuating the ‘nerd’ stereotype: Why I won’t watch Apple TV+’s ‘Lessons in Chemistry’
Lessons in Chemistry, set to debut on Apple TV+ October 13, is based on the best-selling 2022 novel by Bonnie ...
GLP podcast/video: The case for weight-loss drugs; It’s immoral to oppose CRISPR animals? Bad science and ‘forever chemicals’
We don't always know why anti-depressants and obesity drugs work, but that shouldn't discourage patients from taking medications that can ...
Natural selection, artificial selection, and now political selection: How vaccine rejectionism is altering the course of evolution, and not in a good way
“A sharp partisan divide remains over new Covid boosters,” reads the headline announcing a recent poll from Politico, as respiratory ...
Viewpoint: Ketamine for mental health is being abused. We need more regulatory oversight
While some extol the psychological benefits of psychedelics and bemoan their unavailability, at least one FDA-approved agent with psychedelic properties, ...