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
How anti-Semitism shaped the genes of Jewish people
Evidence of past outrages is not only in the history books. It's also written in our genomes ...
Fool me once: What is ‘genomic surveillance’ and how might it help predict the next global pandemic?
COVID took the world by stunned surprise – but, to quote an old Who song, we won’t be fooled again ...
Colchicine surprise: As America’s heart disease crisis escalates, repurposing an older drug originally designed to address a different malady could save millions of lives
“Live long and prosper?” Maybe that Star Trek Vulcan blessing needs a rethink in the United States. ...
GLP podcast: Treating brain diseases with parasites; FDA rejects ecstasy treatment for PTSD; $6 billion—the cost of baby powder lawsuits
A parasite that causes deadly infections may help doctors treat Parkinson's Disease. The FDA wants better evidence before it approves ...
The Human Genome Project: Inside the ‘most important biomedical research undertaking of the 20th Century’
The Human Genome Project was a landmark global scientific effort whose signature goal was to generate the first sequence of ...
Viewpoint: The word “toxic” brandished by Environmentalist crusaders causes fear and anxiety — but chemistry has proven that dose makes the poison
I’m sure you’ve heard someone say: “oh, I don’t use product [X], that is toxic!” Maybe you’ve even uttered a similar ...
Mosquito massacre: Can we safely tackle malaria with a CRISPR gene drive?
CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing quickly decimated two caged populations of malaria-bearing mosquitoes (Anopheles gambiae) in a recent study, introducing a new ...
Viewpoint: A ‘rolling wave of local media stories’ claim PFAS chemicals are toxic and contaminate drinking water. What are the facts?
Articles in a local newspaper in New Jersey and North Carolina demonstrate a national “pandemic” – stories describing widespread PFAS contamination in drinking ...
GLP podcast: China bans ‘irresponsible’ germline editing; losing weight causes cancer? Modern culture could drive mental health issues
China has banned germline gene editing, calling the technology, "irresponsible and not permitted." A recent study suggested that losing weight ...
Viewpoint: How vaccine rejectionists lie to you — and what are the consequences?
There have been at least 10 outbreaks of measles across twenty states already this year, an alarming and dramatic surge ...
‘The single most notorious killer of humans’: What are the true origins of the 14th century Black Plague?
It’s rare that compelling clues converge to illuminate a longstanding medical mystery: the origin of the Black Death, a bubonic ...
GLP podcast: Medicinal psychedelics in California? ‘Lead-soaked tampons’ debunked; Why prescription drugs are so costly
California is considering a bill that would legalize psychedelics for medicinal use. Is this a science-based effort to improve health ...
Losing weight can cause cancer? Here’s how epidemiologists’ studies can skew science to fit ideological viewpoints
As the century turned, the science community began to become critical of a once-honored field; epidemiology. If you are not ...
Why are people suffering from rising mental health issues? Our culture and environments might be changing too fast for evolution to keep up
Research is showing that many of our contemporary problems, such as the rising prevalence of mental health issues, are emerging from rapid technological ...
GLP podcast: Your brain on ‘magic mushrooms’; WEF v farming; Food ‘sensitivity’ tests are scams
People have been taking LSD recreationally for years, but it might turn out to be an effective treatment for depression ...
Neanderthals vs Homo sapiens: How social structures affected ancient species’ ability to survive
Why did humans take over the world while our closest relatives, the Neanderthals, became extinct? It’s possible we were just ...
Race and the Olympics: ‘Yes’, Blacks will sweep the running events, and ‘yes’, genetics is the reason (and Eurasian whites will dominate field events and weight lifting)
The Summer Olympics is rightly billed as an international celebration of global diversity. Athletes are competing and excelling from all ...
Men can’t do Zumba. Is it in their genes?
Zumba saved me during the pandemic. Prior to COVID, I took 3 or 4 of the ATP-burning classes a week ...
California mulls legalization of psilocybin, MDMA, and other psychedelic drugs to treat PTSD
Wade Trammell recalls the time he and his fellow firefighters responded to a highway crash in which a beer truck ...
Viewpoint: No indication that COVID summer surge is fading
Like tens of thousands of Americans baking in the summer heat, President Biden is convalescing at home, waiting for the ...
Why do some animals have bigger brains than others?
Thanks to our large brains, humans and non-human primates are smarter than most mammals. But why do some species develop ...
Smaller than microplastics? Nanoplastics are too small to see yet may seriously impact our environment and health
It’s become common to read that microplastics – little bits of plastic, smaller than a pencil eraser – are turning ...
GLP podcast: Lead in Lunchables? Dismantling Consumer Reports’ latest chemical scare
"Should You Pack Lunchables for Your Kid’s School Lunch?" Consumer Reports asked rhetorically in a recent headline. "CR's tests found ...
Book Review of Paul Offit’s ’Tell Me When It’s Over’: FDA COVID vaccine advisor’s roadmap for a post-pandemic world
COVID-19 has resulted in more than 111 million cases in the United States, which caused about 1.2 million deaths, a ...
Viewpoint: CNN joins list of media organizations snookered by Environmental Defense Fund claims that methylene chloride in decaffeinated coffee poses health hazards
If you've already read this recent story on the CNN news site, perhaps it's not too late to get back the ...
Throw away your lead-soaked tampons? Clickbait headlines exaggerate misrepresented study
Another day, another wildly mischaracterized paper going viral online, eroding science literacy, exacerbating chemophobia, and making our jobs as scientists harder ...
GLP podcast: CBD’s placebo effect; The right-wing raw milk conspiracy? Tattoos boost cancer risk? Unlikely
Does CBD treat pain, or is the marketing hype around this supplement just driven by the placebo effect? It appears ...
