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
Viewpoint: When do politicians sometimes act like bacteria? When it comes to enacting necessary but politically risky policies to control the latest COVID surge
I’ve long noted fundamental similarities between bacteria and politicians. It might seem an odd comparison, but both groups are highly ...
Deep voice, height, testosterone levels, angular face, finger digit ratio, muscularity: Which male trait best predicts finding a partner and having children?
In a massive meta-analysis that was years in the making, psychologists from the University of Durham and the University of ...
Do-it-yourself oxygen: How astronauts could survive on Mars
If MOXIE works the way that scientists hope it will, future astronauts will not only make their own oxygen; they ...
Podcast: Pesticides cancel benefits of fruits and veggies? Drought-tolerant wheat coming soon? Do DNA diets work?
Do pesticide residues on food counteract the benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables? The FDA recently approved a genetically engineered ...
Humans sleep away ⅓ of their lives, but it’s a lot less than other primates. Here’s why
Research has shown that people in non-industrial societies — the closest thing to the kind of setting our species evolved ...
Why Paxlovid is far more effective than media coverage and some skeptics suggest
Paxlovid, the most widely prescribed drug to treat symptomatic COVID-19, has lately attracted a number of detractors. However, Paxlovid has ...
With sales rising, what does the future hold for AquaBounty’s genetically modified sustainable salmon?
AquaBounty is a biotechnology company that specializes in aquaculture. They’re best known for their development of genetically engineered salmon. AquaBounty’s ...
Male and female brains are different in key ways — and that could explain sex disparities in incidences of autism and Alzheimer’s
Scientists have long had of evidence linking immune activity to brain differences and disorders, but the science that sex adds ...
GLP Podcast: Non-GMO Project targets synthetic biology; What do our genes do? Time to toss your multivitamin?
The Non-GMO Project has targeted synthetic biology on behalf of consumers, but does the public really need protection from a ...
DNA and gene editing are the real stars of the new Jurassic Park movie
In Jurassic World: Dominion, the science is mostly accurate, the bioethics message obvious, and the plot adheres to Isaac Asimov’s ...
Legislating nicotine reduction? Some smoke, mostly mirrors
The Biden administration recently announced plans to reduce nicotine in cigarettes to “minimally or non-addictive levels.” This is not a ...
When blood relatives hook up: Is ‘Genetic Sexual Attraction’ really a thing?
Academic sex researchers will ramp up investigation of genetic sexual attraction ...
GLP Podcast: Epoch Times’ glyphosate hysteria debunked; Paxlovid rebound; Melatonin isn’t for kids?
Paxlovid is the best COVID-19 therapy we have. So why are some patients displaying symptoms after treatment with this anti-viral ...
Comparing primate intelligence: What’s so unique about the human brain that makes us so smart?
Humans are unrivalled in the area of cognition. After all, no other species has sent probes to other planets, produced ...
Anosmia and COVID: Does loss of smell from coronavirus signal more serious neurological issues ahead?
The sudden inability to smell and taste that comes with COVID is startling and difficult to describe. I was lucky ...
Transitioning transgender teenagers are not new. This Dutch clinic has been helping them for decades
Relationships between and physicians last a long time at Amsterdam’s Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria. Some of today’s adult ...
Did you get a DNA ancestry kit for Father’s Day? Here are some things to consider before spitting in that vial
The media tales of familial surprises are the tip of an iceberg ...
GLP Podcast: Why non-smokers get cancer; Spotting diseases during pregnancy; Earth-friendly industrialized farming?
Many smokers don't get lung cancer. But why do so many non-smokers end up with the disease? A preliminary study ...
Long COVID’s biological puzzle: Untangling the difference between true disease and pandemic disruptions
Soon after SARS-CoV-2 surfaced in 2020, rapidly sending countries around the world into panicked lockdowns, a new specter arose: "Long ...
Viewpoint: ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ stirs ethical reflection about biotechnology revolution
“Jurassic World: Dominion” is hyperbolic Hollywood entertainment at its best, with an action-packed storyline that refuses to let reality get ...
Is science racist? Genetics, evolutionary human differences and ‘critical race theory’
The killing of George Floyd at the knee of a policeman last May ignited a global wave of protest. Almost ...
GLP Podcast: Teenage psychopaths? Cancer-free smokers; Pesticide propaganda in Europe
Are young people more likely to display narcissistic and psychopathic traits? If so, why? A recent study has proposed intriguing ...
Human technological innovation arose in a variety of prehistoric human civilizations
For the first few million years of human evolution, technologies changed slowly. Some three million years ago, our ancestors were ...
Fertility fraud: Direct-to-consumer DNA tests show thousands of women are illegally impregnated every year by deviant doctors. The laws need updating
To thousands of women gifted with childbirth through assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and their children - the practice can only ...
Viewpoint: Ethical concerns abound over plans for uterine transplants for trans women
Cis and Trans are words I first learned in chemistry. They describe different isomers — compounds with the same chemical ...
‘Abortion pills’: What will be the fate of emergency contraception if Roe v. Wade is overturned?
A brand of specialty mozzarella cheeses. A collection of natural-gas storage terminals. And America’s top-selling emergency contraception. At a moment ...
When does an embryo become viable? Artificial uterus in development may dramatically lower the number of weeks
With New York state easing some restrictions on late-term abortions and Virginia lawmakers proposing to do the same, the abortion debate ...
