Human 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
Nanoparticles in sunscreen get bad rap, but evidence they cause human harm is slim
Most consumer sunscreens use nanoparticles to keep products effective and transparent. But some call the safety of this micro technology ...
Has the war on synthetic biology already begun?
Scientists are worried that synthetic biology might succumb to the same vitriolic culture war that has slowed innovation of genetic ...
Behavioral genetics enters the courtroom
Behavioral genetics is now being used in courtrooms to help establish and justify defendants crime and reduce sentences. But the ...
Faulty genes that cause heart disease focus of personalized medicine
Heart disease follows cancer as genetic screening advances identify targets and treatments on an individual basis ...
Next-Generation Sequencing opening doors in diagnosing perplexing disorders
A new diagnostic test using "Next-Generation Sequencing" has made headlines for saving the lives of two young people suffering from ...
Genetic mismatch implies STAP stem cells do not exist
Genetic tests have put another nail in the coffin of the once-promising STAP (stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency) stem cell technique, ...
Criminalizing high-risk pregnancy? Law makes having a disease and baby simultaneously a crime
Tennessee will now prosecute pregnant women who use drugs, despite overwhelming evidence that addiction is a disease much like diabetes ...
Lab-grown blood not ready for primetime just yet
The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service wants to revolutionize our blood supply using lab-grown red blood cells from adult stem ...
Have a taste for liver? Food preferences might be hard wired
Geneticists have found 17 new genes that help determine what foods people enjoy most. But these genes aren't related to ...
Mosquito-borne dengue fever threatens Brazil World Cup but GM solution blocked by biotech fears
Construction woes aside, visitors to the World Cup in Brazil face a serious threat of mosquito-borned dengue fever. Over 2.5 ...
Anne Glover, Europe’s chief science adviser faces anti-GMO, anti-tech politics
The European Commission's chief science adviser said publicly that politics impedes her ability to give unbiased advice to European policy ...
Beliefs about creationism not good test of public’s science literacy
When asked if they believe in evolution, half of Americans say no. Experts largely regard this as a test of ...
Predicting behavior based on our genes just got more complicated
How can we predict organisms behavior and physiology from their genomes? The language of DNA was always thought to be ...
“Outbreak” redux: Is lab research on influenza worth the risk of a pandemic?
What happens when you mix human error, deadly disease and lab animals? Hollywood would have us believe imminent disaster. Fear ...
Cold case: Cryogenics may enter modern emergency care
Cryogenic preservation has long been fodder for science fiction films. But, emergency room doctors in Pittsburgh hope to save severely ...
Chicken Coop project traces genetics, history of multi-talented domestic chicken
Who cares how the chicken crossed the road; the intriguing question is now did it become such a multi-tasker. Nature's ...
As reproductive technology charges ahead, legislative and ethical oversight flounders
Technology to assist human reproduction is growing quickly and without much government oversight. As these options expand past creating unorthodox ...
Building a virtual organism from the ground up–Let’s start with worms
The OpenWorm project wants you to help you build the world's first complete virtual organism so we can better understand ...
Genetics of ‘race’ unequivocal, only seems controversial because post-modernists, PC media dissimulate
Nicholas Wade’s "A Troublesome Inheritance" has come under attack in some circles because it acknowledges what is an unarguable fact ...
“Aliens of the sea” show there’s more than one way to build a brain
Comb jellies are surreal creatures that are more unique than previously thought; they appear to have evolved their own brains ...
Girls who never grow up offer clues for aging research
An exceptionally rare genetic disorder causes a handful of girls to never age. Could they offer clues to help us ...
Genes matter: People marry mates with similar DNA but different immune systems
DNA research suggests that the adage that opposites attract is off base when it comes to marriage. Humans pick spouses ...
We can read your DNA … but how well can we understand it?
The Boston Globe's Carolyn Johnson has penned an important reminder that "the facts about your genes are not necessarily facts ...
Japan’s STAP stem cell controversy deepens as accusations of misconduct focus on investigating panel
Members of the RIKEN institute committee that found Haruko Obokata -- of STAP stem cell infamy -- guilty of misconduct ...
Humans’ love of watching animals is hardwired
Humans derive pleasure watching animals in zoos, nature and in popular culture. Beyond their uses as food sources and domestic ...
Oldest fossil sperm is huge, poses evolutionary conundrum
Scientists find sperm inside 17-million-year-old shrimp -- but it's not just any sperm. It's longer than the animals that made ...
Will FDA regulations force US direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies overseas?
23andMe is reportedly looking to enter international markets. Will they find their international hosts' regulatory structure as unfriendly as the ...
