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 — COVID fallout raises prickly question: Does science need a ‘rebrand’ to restore credibility as nonpartisan?
Harley-Davidson is one of the most iconic brands in the world. Harley-Davidson, however, doesn’t sell motorcycles – it sells a ...
Artificial wombs: The coming era of motherless births?
Scientifically, it’s called ectogenesis, a term coined by J.B.S. Haldane in 1924. The technology is on its way. How will ...
GLP Podcast: ‘Science-backed’ case for organic food; Dirty Dozen debunked; Gene therapy treats deadly immune disorder
Is there a science-based case for organic farming? One professor says yes, but how compelling are his arguments? Environmental Working ...
Viewpoint: E.O. Wilson’s legacy under fire in some quarters after donated papers underscore fascination with racial differences and human diversity
Did Edward O. Wilson — Harvard professor, iconic biologist, champion of global biodiversity — promote racist ideas? For years, some ...
Universal ‘pan coronavirus vaccine’? Scientists believe it’s possible within 2-3 years
Masks are coming off and we’re venturing back into the world, thanks largely to vaccines and natural immunity. Still, viral ...
Viewpoint: Before we ban all PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ — found in products from non-stick frying pans to medical equipment — let’s require ideologically-neutral cost-benefit analysis
Recently, calls for a complete ban of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever-chemicals”, have intensified in the ...
Technological innovation is spurring evolutionary changes. Here’s how humanity may look 10,000 years from now
Humanity is the unlikely result of 4 billion years of evolution. From self-replicating molecules in Archean seas, to eyeless fish ...
GLP Podcast: ‘Cancel’ culture comes for science outreach; Activism blocks avian flu solution; CRISPR-edited cats?
A major university recently halted a science outreach event because the invited speakers were white men. Has so-called "cancel culture" ...
Where should society draw ethical lines for experimental CRISPR gene therapies that appear able to cure diseases?
It has been more than a year since Markus Mapara, MD, a professor of medicine and director of blood and ...
What are acetogens? And how could synthetic biology turn oil, coal and other fossil fuels into green, carbon-negative chemicals?
When most people hear about oil, as in petroleum, they think of what gets refined to produce gasoline. But it’s ...
Should Medicare routinely cover cost of $28,000-a-year Alzheimer’s drug Adumelm? Most medical professionals say ‘no’ but the pharmaceutical industry is fighting back
The drug industry, patient advocates, and congressional Republicans have all attacked federal officials’ decision to decline routine Medicare coverage for ...
GLP Podcast: Artificial sweetener-cancer study debunked; MLB and vaccine mandates; Cholesterol not so bad after all?
A controversial study recently suggested that artificial sweetener consumption may be linked to elevated cancer risk. Have food-safety regulators overlooked ...
Why the developing world isn’t reaping benefits from the human genomics revolution
Since the first human genome was sequenced in the early 2000s, scientists have touted the breakthrough as a blessing to humanity ...
Probiotics: Solution to long-COVID or overhyped sales pitch?
“Could THIS twice-daily probiotic supplement filled with gut friendly bacteria help beat Long Covid?” That’s the headline in the Daily ...
‘Here, CRISPR critter’: How to gene edit a hypo-allergenic cat
I pity the 15 percent of the human population that cannot live with a cat, due to allergy. I’ve seen ...
Children with deadly immune disorders remain healthy a decade after being treated with gene therapy
Over a decade ago, UCLA physician-scientists began using a pioneering gene therapy they developed to treat children born with a ...
GLP Podcast: Activists dump grain during food shortage; The mirror lies to you; Anti-GMO study debunked
Last week, French activist group Extinction Rebellion destroyed 15,000 tons of wheat to prove its anti-GMO bona fides. The grain ...
Beyond neurodiversity: The dangers of ‘reducing diversity to brain-based distinctions’
The concept of ‘neurodiversity’ has gained enormous cultural influence in recent years. Computer scientists and ‘techies’ wear the ‘neurodiverse’ label ...
Why did the earliest humans leave Africa?
On a searing hot summer day at ‘Ubeidiya, an ancient site in northern Israel, an undulating expanse of dry grasses ...
Globalization of disease: COVID has sparked bioarchaeological investigations of epidemics in prior centuries. What have we learned?
The previous pandemics to which people often compare COVID-19 – the influenza pandemic of 1918, the Black Death bubonic plague (1342-1353), the Justinian ...
GLP Podcast: Ukraine war spikes food prices; Journalist sheds anti-GMO views; Creationism in schools
The war in Ukraine could have long-term impacts on global food prices. Can we prevent this dangerous outcome? A Japanese ...
Is there a male-female ‘orgasm gap’? Unlocking the mystery of female sexual selection
Every second of every day, across the face of planet Earth, there are 18,000 ejaculations of sperm, and 4.4 births ...
Rumors swirling around the web that COVID vaccines spawn variants. Here’s why that’s not true
Are COVID vaccines responsible for creating the multiple variants that keep hitting the world? I get this question all the ...
GLP Podcast: mRNA flu shot coming soon? Dogs really can’t eat chocolate; Marijuana-like ‘runner’s high’
mRNA technology gave us COVID-19 vaccines. Could it also yield more effective flu vaccines? Yes—maybe as soon as next year ...
New study probes reactions to discovering new relatives through consumer DNA testing
Late winter is the season for dealing with unexpected findings from DNA testing kits gifted in December. For most people, ...
Part II: How COVID upended the taboo on limiting constructive discussion about human biodiversity
The coronavirus crisis has brought to light the societal downside of ignoring patterned, population-based differences. Consider the latest research findings ...
Viewpoint: UN sub-agency IARC bungled cancer designation of glyphosate and undermined science of assessing carcinogens
Testing for chemical carcinogenicity using animals is timely, costly, and for some, morally wrong. Non-traditional data consists primarily of quick, ...
