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
Alternate facts: Why are we still telling women that abortion causes breast cancer?
On June 26th, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of crisis pregnancy centers that were challenging a California law, the Reproductive ...
Viewpoint: ‘Worrisome conflicts’ created by lack of diversity in biotech research funding
You exit a cramped, hazy subway car with a throng of professionals. As you emerge blinking into Kendall Square in ...
Is the key to treating or preventing autism hiding in the gut microbiome?
Studies have connected the brain and the microbiome through what’s becoming known as the “gut-brain-axis.” The mystery of our microbiota ...
This virus is attracted to cancer cells. Will it give us new treatments?
Historically, bacteria, parasites, and viruses have been considered dangerous because they spread infectious diseases. But scientists have started to try ...
Will Africa embrace CRISPR gene editing and the next phase of the biotech revolution?
Scientists around the world are increasingly turning to the promise of CRISPR gene editing to tackle any number of problems ...
Resurrecting the northern white rhino and other lost species. But at what cost?
Time has been called on the northern white rhinoceros, but this call is already being challenged. When the last male ...
Ultimate hangover cure? Could the solution be found in a pill?
Nanocapsules containing a substance that can efficiently break down alcohol quickly could prevent alcohol poisoning, and could work as a ...
When antidepressants fail: Are we looking at a new kind of depression?
Depression is one of the most frequently diagnosed mental illnesses, with an estimated 15 percent of the global adult population ...
Here’s what happened when a promising clinical trial for depression was halted
Many clinical trials never actually go to completion, however the preliminary results may be promising. What can we get out ...
Why daycare really might not be dangerous to your child’s health
Being around the large number of germs in daycare may actually improve your child's immune system. And we are now ...
How to ruin cancer’s day
This article originally appeared at Knowable Magazine and has been republished here with permission. Chi Van Dang generally declines to ...
Using evolution to break barriers in an ‘increasingly polarized, politicized world’
Rick Potts is no atheist-evolutionist-Darwinist. That often comes as a surprise to the faith communities he works with as head ...
Battling constipation with synthetic biology and DNA manipulation
Ateam of researchers has cleverly combined synthetic biology, recombinant DNA technology and microbiome manipulation to fashion a novel targeted treatment ...
Chasing the genetic origins of ‘burning man syndrome’
Imagine a scorching pain in your hand or foot, as if from a hot coal. Imagine just a light touch ...
If DNA can predict facial construction, how can we ever have genetic privacy?
DNA can now predict your facial structure. What does that mean for personal privacy? ...
Using CRISPR to block production of HIV in infected cells
Contracting HIV is no longer the death sentence that it was in the 1980s and early 90s. The first cases ...
Viewpoint: Why we aren’t yet on the verge of a preemie prediction test
Earlier this month, I saw an interesting juxtaposition of newly-published papers making headlines. One was about predicting breast cancer recurrence ...
Can we eat our way to better sleep? Why probiotics might help
Our gut microbiome controls much more than we know - it even helps regulate the sleep cycle. Stressed medical students ...
A view from CRISPRcon: Hope, promise and ‘an unmistakable sense of urgency’
The title of this article is partially borrowed from a fascinating Lightning Presentation delivered by John Doench of Broad Institute ...
Viewpoint: Expansion of BRCA screening creates need to know more about breast cancer, treatments
Consumer DNA tests can now check for breast-cancer-causing BRCA mutations, however, cancer risk is highly misunderstood ...
We need transplantable organs. How far should we go to get them?
Human organs are vital to saving human lives, but how far should we go to create them? ...
How dreams may help us declutter our brains and solve problems
Do you remember your dreams from last night? In how much detail? Were they related to anything you experienced during ...
How do you know ‘pseudoscience’ when you see it?
Ontario Correactology Health Care Centres offer 'natural' ways to manage pain, but they're not scientifically proven ...
Looking for a memory boost? Forget crossword puzzles and get more sleep
People try numerous methods to stave off the memory decline associated with old age, but how many of them actually ...
Who should pay for million-dollar life-saving gene therapies?
While life-changing and life-saving gene therapies are going on the market, they have price tags that many cannot pay for ...
Does language change the way our brains see the world?
Picture a sunlit Grecian sea or the deep hues of Santorini’s rooftops. They’re both called “blue” in English. But to ...
Can the Egyptian fruit bat’s unusual genome show us how to fight deadly Marburg virus?
The Egyptian fruit bat's immune system enables it to peacefully co-exist with Marburg virus, which can cause a swiftly deadly ...
