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: Should autism be treated as an illness that should be cured?
“Many of the greatest artists, actors, musicians, scientists, and entrepreneurs of all time were and are autistic. We all serve ...
Does our perception of the world reflect reality? Solving the problem of consciousness
When I see red, it’s the most religious experience. Seeing red just results from photons of a certain frequency hitting ...
Humans vs. apes: Women are the secret factor explaining how we evolved to populate the world
The populations of the great apes were once nearly equal. Now, one great ape species—Homo sapiens—outnumbers the rest by almost ...
Video: Is there an upside to soaring COVID-19 cases?
Most countries and models that have attempted to control COVID-19 situation have had one ultimate goal; trying to bring the ...
The Three Stooges illustrate why coronavirus-fighting ‘antibody cocktails’ could help contain the virus well before a vaccine
“You imbecile!” bellowed Moe Howard as he stuck a finger up the nose of Curly. Moe the bully would often ...
Podcast: Let the light shine—Tackling eye disease with gene therapy
Researchers are bringing discoveries about the underlying genetic faults that cause eye diseases all the way through to game-changing gene ...
What’s a life worth in dollars and cents? Should that influence who gets treated for expensive disease treatments?
Austin was three years old and Max was a newborn when their mother, Jenn McNary, learned they had a rare ...
Searching for Parkinson’s game changer: No cure in sight but stem cells, other advances hold promise
A flurry of recent advances offer the promise of new avenues for treating patients with Parkinson’s disease, one of our ...
5 factors explaining vast differences in how each of us responds to dangers posed by COVID-19
From mask wearing to physical distancing, individuals wield a lot of power in how the coronavirus outbreak plays out. Behavioral ...
The dangerous spread of coronavirus misinformation and magical thinking
Although credentialed scientists have been very clear that there is currently no cure for coronavirus, magical thinking of the pseudoscience ...
75 reasons why vaccines are needed and deniers are dangerous
If you are reading this, chances are that you repeated an anti-vaccine myth or said you weren't vaccinating your children, ...
Genetic engineering key to developing COVID-19 vaccine
Scientists throughout the world are engaged in a herculean effort to develop a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus that has ...
Video: Race protests did not lead to a surge in COVID-19 cases
Looking at raw data and simply saying that Coronavirus cases in the USA are “rising” just because the “number of ...
Podcast: The dark connection between cancer research and the eugenics movement
Exploring how the stories of the 'cancer ladies' - Maud Slye and Pauline Gross - intersect with the eugenics movement ...
Eerily similar? Examining fates of the rich and poor during COVID-19 and 14th century Black Death pandemics
We're seeing this happen all over again with coronavirus ...
27 truths and myths about COVID-19, from Christian healing to Bill Gates conspiracy theories
Due to popular demand (well, two polite requests, actually), I have decided to create a clean version of my post ...
Fighting cancer by boosting the body’s immune system with genetically engineered bacteria
Our immune system can defeat cancer. Immune cells can directly attack cancer cells or produce proteins that don’t let tumors ...
Viewpoint: Stanford epidemiologist John Ioannidis’ COVID-19 controversy illustrates the politicization of science
The critical questions the Stanford professor is raising about Covid-19 have gotten lost amid partisan bickering ...
Video: How can we figure out the real fatality rate of COVID-19 and how lethal it is?
Dr. Wessam Atif breaks down what we do and don't know about the worldwide death rate, or case fatality rate, ...
It started with rocks: How we developed belief, our ‘most creative and destructive’ ability
About 20 years ago, the residents of Padangtegal village in Bali, Indonesia, had a problem. The famous, monkey-filled forest surrounding ...
How a rare bird and the coronavirus remind us that our safety depends on science—not wishful thinking
There are worse places to spend a COVID-19 lockdown than next to a sanctuary with one of the world’s rarest ...
‘Valuable feedback’: Coronavirus conspiracy theories and rumors illustrate ‘legitimate anxieties’
The tactic of simply throwing facts at the misinformation problem can be ineffective, and even counterproductive ...
Viewpoint: Lawyers win and science loses in Johnson & Johnson decision to halt US baby powder sales
Scientists say that talcum baby powder doesn't cause cancer. Trial lawyers say it does. As usual, the lawyers win. Scientists, ...
Podcast: Out standing in the field – the highs and lows of fieldwork
We talk to the researchers studying genetics and evolution in action, from chasing butterflies up mountains to artificially inseminating kakapos ...
Seeking a big break: How ‘brain-on-a-chip’ devices are revolutionizing brain disorder research
How do we pick apart an organ as complex as the brain and gain a better understanding of what goes ...
Using ‘genomic breadcrumbs’ to track the coronavirus—and predict how to cope with it
Rapid sequencing of viral genomes can help public health officials figure out the origins, spread and nature of quickly moving ...
What’s ‘race’ got to do with it? Sub-Saharan Africa emerges as coronavirus ‘cold spot’, offering clues to develop COVID-19 vaccines
Do diseases discriminate on the basis of 'race'—or their genetic population, using more precise terminology? On the surface, this may ...
