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
Can synthetic biology help deliver an AI brain as smart as the real thing?
To create artificial general intelligence, we need to study the brain ...
Will 2020 see the debut of promising gene therapy for hemophilia A? It’s up to the FDA.
Hemophilia A gene therapy has been twenty years in the making ...
Fighting climate change by reprogramming yeast, bacteria to feast on carbon dioxide
An organism easily adapted to different environments and ready to consume any compound would be a valuable tool ...
2019 offered ‘eclectic’ mix of potentially breakthrough treatments for genetic diseases, from cystic fibrosis to sickle cell
2019 was a very good year for new treatments of genetic diseases ...
DNA tests sometimes uncover buried family secrets. We’re exploring how to help everyone cope
Are people prepared for surprises? ...
CRISPR gene editing’s ‘prime’ upgrade could snip out 89% of genetic diseases
The new editing technique has the capability to introduce specified changes to the DNA: mutations, deletions, and insertions of new ...
Podcast: Vaccine expert Dr. Paul Offit explains the ‘dos and dont’s’ of battling scientific misinformation
Paul Offit has forged a second career as an influential spokesman for scientific thinking ...
‘CRISPR this, CRISPR that’: Is our fascination with the popular gene-editing tool distracting us from the potential of gene-silencing RNAi technology?
I hope the public fascination with CRISPR can also embrace the other biotechnologies providing new therapeutic options ...
‘No one wanted to touch it’: Why a Lyme disease vaccine has been so elusive
The first human Lyme vaccine was pulled off the market nearly twenty years ago. A new effort faces lingering suspicions ...
Should parents be allowed to choose a child’s sexual orientation through gene editing?
Where do our sexual preferences come from? Most of us don’t stop to ponder, simply because there’s no need to ...
‘Genome streamlining’: How species ditch genes no longer needed for survival
Can a genome reach maximum efficiency? ...
Retinitis pigmentosa cure breakthrough? Next generation of artificial lenses being developed with flexible silicon-like chips to combat genetic blindness
Organic semiconductors can link up with brain cells to send and receive signals. They may find a use in sight-restoring ...
Does the ‘genetics revolution’ unsettle you? Here is a guide, and reasons to be hopeful
I'm thrilled that DNA science has become so much more tangible and practical. Yet we must use the information wisely ...
Podcast: Sneaky sheep, substandard stallions and sperm wars
Stories of sneaky sheep, substandard racing stallions, and news from the front lines of the sperm wars ...
Brave new world? Why the public might be ready for gene-edited babies
Gene-editing tools like CRISPR/Cas9 are rapidly bringing the possibilities forward ...
How a fetus’s developing brain may be shaped by mom’s mental state
Stress and anxiety during pregnancy can mean a higher risk of offspring developing ADHD, depression or other conditions. Medical psychologist ...
DNA databases as crime deterrent: As more ‘cold cases’ are solved, are would-be criminals growing wary?
Some research suggests the mere existence of DNA databases may now be helping to prevent crime. But even if that’s ...
Kim Kardashian West’s battle with psoriatic arthritis: Will understanding the genetics of the autoimmune disorder point to a cure?
While there is no cure, appropriate and early treatment can help prevent major damage to affected parts of the body ...
Why the quest to ‘cure’ cancer may be destined to fail
Many of the risk factors to do with cancer are related to lifestyle, so there is concrete action people can ...
Religious beliefs shape our thinking on cloning, stem cells and gene editing
Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam react to new technologies in their own ways ...
Is ‘natural’ better than ‘artificial’? Skincare products underscore why that view is wrongheaded
Synthetic and 'chemical-sounding' preservatives in cosmetics are safer than the alternatives that are marketed as 'natural' ...
Treating ‘suicidality’ as its own medical condition could spur research, better treatment options
There is no established method of identifying patients in immediate danger of attempting suicide. Some researchers are trying to change ...
Our brains as hard drives—could we delete, modify or add memories and skills?
Research suggests it might one day be possible to tweak our brains -- eliminating traumatic memories or granting new skills, ...
Podcast: From Jurassic Park to woolly mammoths – is it right to bring back extinct species?
Geneticist Kat Arney takes a look at the science of de-extinction, asking whether it's feasible - or even ethical - ...
Expensive CAR-T therapy raises difficult question: ‘What is the price of a human life?’
A new type of therapy for certain blood cancers is ingenious but it raises important questions about its cost, both ...
Can we find the keys to drug abuse, opioid addiction in our genes?
We still have much to learn about genetics, addiction, and even the brain itself ...
Our brains on trial: How new imaging technology could alter the way courts view ‘neurolaw’ defenses when determining guilt
States of mind that the legal system cares about — memory, responsibility and mental maturity — have long been difficult ...
Can genetic screening help identify soldiers less likely to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder?
Research offers new support for the idea that genetics can play a key role in determining why some people develop ...
