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
Repeated patterns in DNA may be missing piece of the story of human evolution
Science is just starting to unlock what we can learn from duplicated regions of DNA in the genes of humans ...
Media missed important message when covering Angelina Jolie’s preventative mastectomy
Angelina Jolie's preventative double mastectomy was one of the biggest genetics stories of 2013. But, new studies show, the media ...
Did Pew stumble in its annual poll on support for evolution, exaggerating Republican-Democrat differences??
A new poll, showing Republicans are increasingly skeptical of evolution, is being questioned for seemingly heightening differences in beliefs between ...
Future pharma: Led by US scientists, glow-in-the-dark pigs bred in China
Pigs engineered with jellyfish DNA to emit a greenish glow in ultraviolet light are a key step in developing effective, ...
‘Brainlike’ computers, able to learn from own mistakes, could arrive in 2014
The first commercial version of a new kind of computer chip, which would allow computers to learn from their own ...
Could doctors diagnose all types of cancer with one drop of blood?
Despite incredible diversity among cancer cells, researchers and startup companies are hoping to find a silver bullet test to diagnose ...
Myriad BRCA test Medicare reimbursement rate (and price?) cut
Medicare reimbursement rates for a popular genetic breast cancer test will drop by half in the new year as a ...
When it comes to human brain, size isn’t everything
According to new research, expansion of the brain in our ancestors ripped apart tethered neurons, enabling new circuits to be ...
Reporter David Dobbs revises ‘selfish gene’ coverage under fire
After a controversial article on the Selfish Gene Theory provoked sharp criticism, science writer David Dobbs revised his article and ...
Patents, personal genetics and progress: Top 10 genetics stories of 2013
This year was brimming with genetics news, from the Myriad BRCA test ruling to the obliteration of the idea of ...
Toe fossil provides glimpse into the racy social lives of Neanderthals
A single Neanderthal toe bone has provided scientists with the most complete genome to date, offering a new glimpse into ...
Can HIV be removed with ‘molecular scissors’?
German scientists have used a genetic modification technique known as "molecular scissors" to cut HIV out of infected cells. Could ...
Video: How to sequence the human genome
Thanks to technological advances, scientists are now able to know the sequence of letters that makes up an individual genome ...
What genes make us human? Scientists have a list
To figure out how humans rose to dominance in the ancient world, scientists are examining the genetic differences between humans ...
How many of the people born in the world in 1756 could have become Mozart? IQ twin studies may provide an answer
A recent study on the heritability of intelligence has sparked interest in determining where we get our intelligence. A new ...
Non-invasive prenatal screening: Too much information?
With non-invasive prenatal screenings comes the ability to read more and more into the genetics of unborn babies. Can we ...
Caribou genetics reveal shadow of climate change
A new look at the genetic history of Caribou suggests that loss of habitat, which is a likely effect of ...
Did brain mirror neurons help shape our civilization?
A new study debunks the hype surrounding mirror neurons and surveys current literature to take a calm and objective look ...
Teaching students to tinker with genetic engineering is good for education and society
Move over toothpick-and-gumdrop skyscrapers! Today's students use synthetic biology's tools to build genetically engineered organisms ...
Why are some children less prone to obesity? Epigenetics may offer clues
Recent studies on epigenetic inheritance are changing the way scientists view our biology, particularly for inherited factors like obesity or ...
‘Duon’ controversy: Scientists claim second code hiding within DNA, provoking sharp rebuke
In a claim sharply challenged as overhyped, University of Washington scientists say they have "discovered" a second code hiding within ...
DNA plays powerful role in how students do on exams
A new study suggests that genetics may account for 58% of the difference between children's test scores. Will the finding ...
In key ways, great white sharks are more similar to humans than to fish
New research suggests that many of the great white shark’s proteins match humans more closely than they do zebrafish, the ...
Science reporters fail to dig deep enough on male v. female brain story
The media went nuts over the recent brain scanning study saying men and women differ when it comes to spatial ...
Comparison of aging patterns sheds light on evolutionary purpose of aging
A new comparison of aging patterns of humans and 45 other species reveals that some species live much longer than ...
23andMe facing class action suit for making ‘genetic predictions’
23andMe is now faced with a class-action lawsuit that challenges the company's claims of genetic tests' predictive power ...
Nearly a quarter of cow genome comes from snakes
According to a new article, “horizontal gene transfer” allows genes to cut themselves out of surrounding DNA and paste themselves ...
