Human Genetics 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
Is Alzheimer’s disease transmissible?
Five people treated for pituitary dwarfism decades ago with human growth hormone (hGH) pooled from cadavers have shown cognitive decline ...
GLP podcast/video: Too much cleanliness makes us sick? Protect your genetic data; Against ‘green-neocolonialism’
Good hygiene is important, but too much of it might be contributing to chronic disease in developed countries. A data ...
Biological exceptionalism: How two Italian sisters lived to 100
In my endless email about COVID-19 popped up a new paper analyzing the health of two Italian sisters who lived ...
Viewpoint: As concerns about plastic pollution in the ocean mount, there is a yet untapped solution — genetically-engineered bacteria that “eat” plastic. Will activists and the government block it?
Spain’s northern coast has been fighting a months-long assault from a ‘white tide’ of plastic pellets dumped by a Dutch-registered ...
Filling the gaps of what we know about the first days and weeks of the developing human embryo
Several recent reports are filling in the gaps of what we know about the earliest days and weeks of human ...
Video: 10 of the most prominent anti-vaccine celebrities, from Jim Carrey to Jenny McCarthy
Why do many celebrities reject science? Watch the video below to find out which Hollywood stars are anti-vaccine. 1. Jenna ...
How the FDA decimated the entire biotech sector of genetically engineered animals — and what needs to be done to revive it
In part 1, we learned that avian flu is killing birds globally in record numbers, has crossed the species barrier ...
Regulatory death march: As the avian flu crosses the species barrier and targets animals and humans, a gene editing solution is in focus. Here’s why it’s unlikely US regulators will embrace the moment
Avian influenza is surging again, but with an even deadlier twist: the scourge that has led to hundreds of millions ...
Viewpoint: Anti-biotechnology, pro-organic dark money web — Tort lawyer-funded, Charles Benbrook-created Heartland Health Research Alliance co-opts academic and government institutions to subvert independent science
The Heartland Health Research Alliance (HHRA) an ideologically-focused research groups funded by ‘dark money’ support from the organic industry and ...
Viewpoint: The ‘culture wars’ infection of anthropology and archaeology grows
In 1941, at the height of World War 2, troops stationed on Hoy in the remote Scottish Orkney Islands made ...
Viewpoint: Here’s what happens when legislators pander to activists by over-regulating science and medical practice in an ill-advised effort to ‘protect the public’
It is bad enough when unqualified pundits offer dumb opinions about science, but bad legislation can cause real damage. The COVID ...
Another lesson from the news coverage of COVID: How poorly-written headlines can adversely impact the lives of readers
Two friends independently emailed me a recent article from CNN’s website with this headline, which prompted both to ask whether they should ...
Nether region science—What’s the allure for cats of fellow feline rear ends?
Anyone who lives with more than one member of Felis catus knows that our beloved felines love to smell each other’s ...
Does the recently approved Novavax COVID vaccine offer any unique benefits?
Erin Kissane, a co-founder of the COVID Tracking Project, rolled up her sleeve for the Novavax covid-19 vaccine in mid-October ...
GLP podcast/video: What causes autism? Treating PTSD with psychedelics; Alcoholism could be in our genes
Speculation persists about the causes of autism thanks to an explosion in the number of cases that have been diagnosed ...
Can coffee drinking prevent COVID infection?
Coffee has undergone a dramatic rehabilitation since it was designated as a “possible” bladder carcinogen by the International Agency for ...
Newest Alzheimer’s drug slows disease — but costs over $25,000 per year. Who will pay for it?
The first drug purporting to slow the advance of Alzheimer’s disease is likely to cost the U.S. health care system ...
‘Warrior gene’: Some people may be genetically wired for aggressiveness. Can we—should we—do something about it?
“Some people have real problems right out of the starting block. We can't dodge the responsibility for social action." ...
GLP podcast/video: Trust in scientists plummets; EU ditches organic ‘Farm to Fork’ plan; Our troubling ‘superhuman’ future?
Americans are losing trust in scientists following the COVID pandemic. How can experts regain the public's support? The European Union ...
We live in a world of conflict and competition. Why has kindness persisted?
Recently, I was walking with some fellow parents after nursery drop-off when we came across a five-pound note lying on ...
How RFK, Jr.’s science disinformation machine rolls on despite so many debunking articles (like this one)
The presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a reminder of the insidious imbalance of conspiracy theories: They are always ...
Anti-GMO activists take page out of anti-chemical and anti-BPA lobby, targeting the ‘black box’ of endocrine disruption
Anti-GMO activists are taking a page out of the anti-chemical lobby in claiming that genetic modification can disrupt normal endocrine ...
Pathological science: How can we know whether today’s ‘junk science’ will remain ridiculous or someday be vindicated?
Today, there is simply too much known in far too many diverse fields for any person to hold it all ...
GLP podcast/video: Elon killed Twitter? EWG’s latest pesticide scare; RFK, Jr. vs ‘Big Pharma’
Has Twitter (X) devolved into a misinformation cesspool? Once scientist says yes. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) claims schools near ...
Viewpoint: Florida’s Surgeon General is a menace to public health
Florida has many things to recommend, but the state’s top public health official isn’t one of them. Surgeon General Joseph ...
Feline evolution: How house cats and humans domesticated each other
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to go on safari in southern Africa. One of the greatest thrills ...
How Spain emerged as the European epicenter for egg donations
Spain performs more than half of all egg donation treatments across Europe. The country is the largest provider of donor eggs ...