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
Podcast: Bird poop, pus, and the Manhattan project—the surprising origins of the genetic alphabet
Kat Arney explores the origins of the genetic alphabet: A, C, T and G - the four 'letters' that spell ...
Party drug ‘ecstasy’ could be the answer to years of searching for a PTSD treatment
A once-rejected rave drug finds a new healing purpose ...
Human-chimp hybrid fossil discovery rewrites human evolutionary history! Uhm, maybe not.
Does the anatomy of this ancient ape upend assumptions about how human ancestors learned to walk? ...
Building ‘better’ astronauts through genetic engineering could be key to colonizing other planets
Through genetic engineering, we will one day have the ability to thrive in harsh alien environments ...
‘Headed down the wrong road’: The quest for precision medicine distracts us from what already works
The dominance of genomics in biomedical research today is driven by scientific theory and opportunity, but it is pushing science ...
Searching for your doppelgänger: Why it’s not so unusual to find a twin
The global reach of the web has allowed people to find others who look like an identical twin, yet share ...
Podcast: How ‘anti-CRISPR’ viral proteins can fine-tune gene editing in medicine and agriculture
Researchers hope to exploit this viral countermeasure to regulate gene editing and minimize unintended mutations during the editing process ...
Viewpoint: Genetics can help us navigate the ‘toxic’ transgender debate in more compassionate ways
If we are ever to untangle the nature/nurture knot, we need to find ways past the petty politicizing exemplified by ...
Assessing coronavirus media coverage: Too late, too alarmist, and too much censorship
Few Western media outlets are getting this one right ...
Searching for the ‘big break’ that could turn stem cells into a weapon against dementia
Recent developments in stem cell research suggest a radical shift in the way we diagnose and treat dementia ...
Gene therapy shows success against some cancers and inherited disorders. Can it tackle obesity?
Scientists are working with treatments that have shown success in amping up the metabolism of mice, helping them lose weight ...
Why the UK wants to share everything it knows about the genetics of 500,000 Britons
Britain is profiling the genes, health and lifestyles of its citizens and handing the results to scientists across the world ...
Examining our history of advertising for OxyContin and other opioids: Have we learned enough about the dangers of addiction?
Recent advertising for opioid drugs has taken a strange turn ...
Viewpoint: Is a coronavirus vaccine on the horizon? Antiquated FDA regulations make it unlikely one will emerge in the US
A coronavirus vaccine in the foreseeable future? I’m not holding my breath ...
Podcast: ‘How to argue with a racist’—geneticist Adam Rutherford challenges what he calls ‘pseudoscience’ in genetics and politics
Adam Rutherford explains how to argue with a racist, hunting for the ghosts in the human genome, and recreating the ...
New ‘DNA clock’ finds that if our genes had their way, humans would have a ‘natural’ lifespan of 38 years
A genetic “clock” lets scientists estimate how long extinct creatures lived ...
Podcast: How ‘fake news’ about avian flu almost sent virologist Ilaria Capua to prison for life
Capua now uses her harrowing experience to educate policymakers and law enforcement about science ...
Will scientists ever get ahead of fast-mutating deadly health viruses? Exploring the coronavirus and the genetics of other viral outbreaks
Even as our methods of detection and treatment improve, we will likely never be able to completely stay ahead of ...
Manipulating our internal clocks could lead to treatments for mood disorders, obesity—and even aging
Medicines and other small molecules may play a role in fixing rhythms gone awry ...
Brain chemicals fight for the status quo—that’s why it’s so hard to change people’s minds even when the science consensus is overwhelming
Why do people refuse to change their views when confronted with scientific consensus? Research is starting to show us how ...
Would artificial wombs liberate women from the ‘blood, sweat and tears’ of pregnancy?
By lifting the burden of reproduction, artificial wombs might liberate women ...
‘More than human’: How neural implants, robotics and artificial intelligence are redefining who we are
Advances in human enhancement make cyborgs a future possibility ...
What’s your ‘ageotype’? Classification system explains why some of us are older—or younger—than we look
Study shows that "it’s possible to change the way you age for the better." ...
Podcast: One of the most infamous fakes in biology? How Ernst Haeckel’s disputed embryo images sows confusion about evolution
Kat Arney takes a closer look at some of the most controversial images in science - Ernst Haeckel's illustrations of ...
Can DNA predict who might be a mass murderer?
There have been repeated attempts over the past 50 years to find genetic links to criminal behavior or mass murderers ...
‘Spoken language doesn’t leave fossils’: Did human’s ability to speak arise in an instantaneous hominin mutation?
Linguist Noam Chomsky suggested that a mutation in a single ancient ancestor gave rise to human language today ...
Viewpoint: To understand human consciousness, we need a revolutionary way of thinking about it
A science of consciousness is coming ...
