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
Why synthetic biology is about much more than resurrecting woolly mammoths
Synthetic biology...Simply mentioning this term — whether at a cocktail party or on a pop culture TV show — evokes ...
Why conservatives should embrace evolution ‘as a jewel’ of modern Western civilization
It is a crowning achievement of Western civilization and a rejoinder to the modern myths of the Left ...
Summer is coming: Just how much sun can your DNA take before being damaged?
We're entering sunscreen season, which means 'high alert' for sun-related skin damage. How does our DNA impact our susceptibility? ...
A matter of trust: Why anti-vaxxers are wary of Big Pharma
Vaccine opponents often share a conviction that the health care system is more interested in profits and power than helping ...
Viewpoint: What defines a female athlete? Law professor, former runner’s case for why Caster Semenya’s testosterone levels critical in determining if she should compete with women
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that intersex athletes must reduce their testosterone to within accepted female levels ...
Geopolitics of gene editing
For a handful of countries, gene editing is key to their future power ...
Was our brain growth kick-started by ancestors scavenging bone marrow from animal carcasses?
A new theory challenges assumptions about when and how our ancestors altered their behaviors to boost brainpower ...
Worried about low T? Treatments may be a costly placebo—and could even hurt you
Testosterone therapy does little to counter the effects of aging. But it does have the potential to be harmful for ...
Viewpoint: How my cancer treatment turned me into a living, breathing GMO
Whether in cancer cells or apples, GMOs are improving lives ...
Dissecting the cannabis genome in the quest for a better bud and effective medicines
Cannabis cultivators have little firm knowledge about the genetics of the plant. Researchers hope to change that ...
How this promising gene therapy for a rare neuromuscular disease was fueled by passionate parents and a dog
The gene therapy will be too late for Joshua Frase. But it will be his legacy ...
Sex robots create a lot of questions, including this one: Does it count as cheating on your human partner?
In “Turned On,” a computer scientist and sex researcher explores the surprisingly serious business of sexual companion robots (no snickering, ...
Weak links? How partial DNA matches can muddle criminal investigations
Using DNA collected from a crime scene, police can identify relatives of unidentified suspects through partial, or familial, matches. Legal ...
Searching for genetic links to suicidal thoughts and behavior
New genetic research could help identify those most at risk of suicide ...
Why we lose when Hollywood distorts CRISPR gene editing in the name of entertainment
Adding misinformation to a climate of fear and distrust plants more seeds of suspicion in the public mind ...
‘The broken promise of anonymity’? Bioethicist’s call to guard identity of sperm and egg donors is misguided
Dr. Pennings’ opinion fails to capture the complexity of donation ...
Psychopaths are among us—and why that isn’t necessarily a bad thing
Can psychopathic people perform certain roles better than non-psychopaths? ...
Purebred? How humans invented the modern concept of ‘dog breeds’
Modern purebred dog breeds were created in Victorian Britain ...
Gene therapy’s fight against ‘bubble boy’ disease may have yielded a safe cure
“Cure” is a strong word, but the authors are confident that it has been achieved ...
Viewpoint: We can’t fight sexism by denying the science behind male-female brain differences
Seeking to understand female and male brain differences from a scientific point of view is often dismissed as 'neurosexism.' ...
Revived pig brains may unleash uncomfortable questions for how we define death
The researchers hypothesized an “under-appreciated capacity” of an oxygen-starved mammalian brain to survive ...
What colored blobs in the brain can tell us about environmental decision making
The fast-growing field of neuroeconomics is shedding new light on how we make choices related to protecting the environment ...
Frozen in time: You can be cryogenically preserved, but will you ever be revived?
Preservation technologies promise the ability to suspend life for decades or even centuries. That would come with all sorts of ...
Exploring the havoc that can be unleashed by consumer ancestry tests
On what fraction of a human genome do the consumer DNA companies base these deductions that can shatter lives? ...
Transparency and trust: Is there room for ‘the people’ in the human gene editing debate?
How does excluding the people service the WHO's stated goals of transparency and trust? ...
NASA twins study highlights key risks for long-term space travel: Cosmic rays and microgravity
When NASA reported preliminary observations about the famous “twin astronaut” study a year ago, the media rushed in, reporting the ...
The MIND diet: Can you eat your way to a healthier brain?
Every 65 seconds, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s. So in the time it takes you to read this ...
