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
Happy birthday, Human Genome
In the 10 years since the completion of the Human Genome Project, genetic science has moved forward in leaps and ...
The great gay showdown: Genes vs. germs
Ron Unz, former businessman and conservative political activist, blasts through two rival explanations for homosexuality: the Gay Gene hypothesis and ...
Forget genetic privacy—DNA should be open-source
No one’s DNA has ever been private, writes Pop Sci’s Erin Biba—we spray it everywhere when our skin cells slough ...
Lab-grown kidneys work in rats, offer hope for human transplants
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital report a medical first: lab-grown kidneys successfully transplanted into rats, where they functioned properly -- ...
The future of gene patenting
Are human genes patentable? The question is becoming less relevant as biotech patents move more toward completely synthetic genes and ...
IVF pioneer Robert Edwards dies at age 87
Robert Edwards, whose pioneering in vitro fertilization research led to the first test tube baby and has since brought millions ...
Economic recession can effect your genes
New insights into how genes are triggered in times of stress suggest that we should be paying attention to the ...
Rare mutation could lead to the next blockbuster cholesterol drug
Mutations in a gene called PCSK9 give African Americans extremely low ‘bad cholesterol’ and a 90 percent reduced risk of ...
Why care about human evolution?
The study of human evolution allows us to “to discover more profound implications about ourselves and our essential natures”, writes ...
Genetic ancestry testing is not ‘astrology’
In calling DNA-based ancestry tests 'astrology,' geneticist Mark Thomas wrongfully overlooks legitimate, peer-reviewed research ...
Genetic engineering joins the fight to save wildlife
Conservation workers will this week seek help from an unlikely set of allies. They will ask researchers working on synthetic ...
What the new ACMG guidelines really mean
Do patients have a right to not know what's written in their genes? The DNA Exchange explains doctors' new genetic ...
What makes smart people do dumb things
Our usual measures of intelligence – particularly IQ – have very little to do with irrational, illogical behaviors. You really ...
Sequencing finds antibiotic resistance in bacteria moving from livestock to humans
Scientists use genetics to uncover the "smoking gun" in the crossing-over of antibiotic resistance from livestock to human ...
Get ready for a genetics-based marketplace
A new platform will help consumers control what offers they get from retailers based on their genetic makeup ...
Genetic engineering turns microbes into industrial powerhouses
Thanks to a new method of gene expression quality control, the next industrial revolution could be biological ...
Scientists engineer extreme bacteria to make fuel from carbon dioxide
University of Georgia researchers recently used the mighty Pyrococcus furiosus, which usually eats carbohydrates and lives in super-heated waters or ...
Will animal-machine hybrids fight our next war?
The U.S. government is looking to animal-machine hybrids to safeguard the country and its citizens. The same advances that have ...
New company will bring extinct species back from the dead
Two of biotechnology’s most prolific and far-sighted researchers say they’re teaming up to start a company that intends to rewrite ...
Are boys really better at math, girls better at reading?
Are the human sexes distinct in their math abilities? In their reading abilities? Sex differences in math and reading scores ...
Realizing the promise of newborn screening
Geneticist James P. Evans argues that it is time to start looking at genetic testing through the lens of disease ...
Personal genetic tests can benefit everyone
Anne Wojcicki, co-founder of the personal genetics testing company 23andMe, says that knowing your genes could save your life ...
Lily Grossman: Medicine — and hope — via genomics
The utility of whole genome sequencing is debated, but Lily Grossman's story offers compelling evidence for its potential ...
Meritocracy: How social Darwinism made modern China
What role does DNA play in nation building? Can hundreds of years of natural selection provide the genetic basis for ...
The genetics of mental illness and the allure of gene-ism
The current reality of mental illness is one of blurred boundaries; new genetic results showing coming ground among several disorders ...
Breast cancer genetic testing gets covered by health care reform
Genetic testing for breast cancer will be covered under the Affordable Care Act, potentially saving thousands of dollars for women ...
