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
Military blood serum bank advances research, raises privacy concerns
The US Department of Defense's huge blood serum bank is great for scientific research, but not all donors know they're ...
Programming language based on the human brain
IBM has developed a new programming architecture based on the language of the human brain, taking us one step closer ...
Non-Jews hit by ‘Jewish’ diseases fall through the cracks of genetic screening
Today, the vast majority of babies born with Tay-Sachs disease are not Jewish. Why aren't non-jews getting prenatal screening? ...
NYTimes’ “Autism’s Unexpected Link to Cancer Gene”: an old story, made murky
It’s not news that disrupting a gene for tumor-suppressing proteins can result in non-cancer effects on many body systems, including ...
Why is Myriad still filing patent suits for breast-cancer tests after SCOTUS rebuke?
Science is complicated, and the US Supreme Court ruled narrowly on the Myriad case: Now lawsuits are flying ...
Astronaut twin study could reveal genetics of space health
NASA's Identical twin astronauts are splitting up to help scientists understand genetics of space health problems ...
First lab-grown burger: Groundbreaking, a bit bland, and definitely not GM
The worlds first lab-grown burger, made from muscle stem cells, was cooked and eaten in London. Despite technically delivering on ...
Evolution will punish the selfish? It’s not as simple as that
Media coverage of a game theory study of selfishness and evolution overstates the result in the name of catchy headlines ...
Future foods: Candy grapes, hypoallergenic apples, and more!
Whether it's been genetically modified, cross-pollinated or created out of some other scientific process, scientists are aiming to create food ...
Jurassic Park and the race for ancient DNA
In the 1990's rush to find ancient DNA (aDNA) trapped in amber, palaeontologists destroyed priceless fossils ...
Cloud-based genomics: Will the Internet create GM super-oranges?
Farmers are hacking their operations with robots, sensors, drones, and good-old circuit boards, but that’s merely a first step. Thanks ...
Science as social control: money, politics, and genetics research
The search for genetic predispositions is part of a longterm corporate and political effort to sway public opinion ...
Literal gene-ius: The search for a genetic basis of intelligence
Barely out of his teens, Chinese prodigy Zhao Bowen is leading a multimillion-dollar research effort to solve a genetic mystery: ...
Smithsonian’s genetics exhibit inspires mixed review
Smithsonian's new exhibit explains how the human genome relates to health, medicine and ethics, but not really how it works ...
Single genetic glitch may explain most allergies and asthma
Researchers think there may be a common genetic driver behind almost all allergic diseases ...
Genetic exceptionalism and privacy
Despite privacy fears, genetic information may be less damaging than other forms of personal medical data ...
Fate of Florida oranges rests on whether activists succeed in debasing GM debate
In a journalistic tour de force, New York Times reporter Amy Harmon offers a thoughtful deconstruction of how politics and ...
Would Rosalind Franklin have won a Nobel for her work on viruses?
Best known for her part in discovering the structure of DNA, Franklin also discovered the structure of viruses ...
James Watson weighs in against Myriad in gene patent debate
Last month, co-discoverer of DNA, James Watson, took a break making controversial remarks to file an amicus brief in the ...
Genetic descrimination claims on the rise
New lawsuits mark stepped up enforcement of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. How are employers adapting? ...
DNA superstorage: Apocalypse-proofing the world’s data
In terms of information density, DNA outclasses anything we’ve been able to invent. Two scientists think all the world's information ...
Scientist create stem cells without genetic manipulation
Scientists demonstrate a new way to reprogram adult tissue to become cells like embryonic stem cells, without using genes ...
X chromosome may control male fertility
Researchers have found that the X (i.e."female") chromosome contains scores of genes that define male-only traits ...
Crops that can genetically modify their pests
Imagine a future in which genetically engineered plants are able to genetically engineer -- and thereby defeat -- their own ...
How much does genetics dictate your mood and mindset?
Optimism and pessimism are not purely genetic: we have some control over our perception of the world ...
Shutting down the extra chromosome in Down’s syndrome
Researchers have shut down the third, extra, Down's-syndrome-causing copy of the 21st chromosome in human cells ...
Curing the disease known as aging
Is aging a process that we simply have to accept as a fact of life or is it something we ...
