Human Genetics 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
NASA says it will find extraterrestrial life soon: Will it be DNA-based?
NASA says it's closer than ever to finding extraterrestrial life, but if and when scientists find life outside of Earth, ...
Could we end malaria with GE mosquitoes?
The ability to edit genomes may offer us the ability to build and release mosquitos resistant to malaria, ending the ...
Free-floating RNA and sperm might be pathway for epigenetics
Scientists find that sperm can potentially carry RNA from the body's cells to offspring. Is this finally evidence of a ...
Canada seeks to keep genetic data private from health insurers
Canada has no legislation barring insurers from requesting genetic testing information when customers apply for policies. The government is urging ...
Genes and learning: Will early reading really make a difference?
New guidelines from pediatrics organization advise parents to begin reading to children just after birth. But evidence is inconclusive that ...
False positives and false promises for Alzheimer’s disease
A recent study claims to predict Alzheimer's disease with just a blood test. But analysis of the reported statistics show ...
Video: San Fran startup Cambrian Genomics set to edit your embryo’s DNA
San Francisco startup Cambrian Genomics is making lots and lots of synthetic DNA, some of which they hope to sell ...
Transgenic, sex-swapped algae reveal potential genetic ‘master switch’ in evolution of the sexes
An experiment in making sex-swapped algae has unveiled a genetic "master switch" in the evolution of sex differences, one of ...
Patient with nasal tissue tumor illustrates unknowable side effects of stem cells
A patient at a Portuguese hospital had a nasal tissue tumor removed from the site of an eight-year-old stem cell ...
Industry awaits FDA ruling on ‘generic’ versions of biologically derived drugs
Patents for a huge class of drugs, biologics, derived using biological techniques, will start expiring in the next few years ...
Practice does not make perfect: Elite sprinters destroy myth that athletes made, not born
The old adage, hyped by Malcolm Gladwell, that hard work can turn almost anyone into a champion is popular among ...
Strawberries and lawsuits: Future of favorite fruit hinges on intellectual property
When one of the world's foremost strawberry breeders decided to leave UC Davis, it sparked a controversy culminating in a ...
What causes diabetes? Genes and viruses likely culprits
Scientists know there is a genetic component to diabetes, but the origins of the disease remain elusive, with genetics and ...
Sherpas inherited ability to thrive in high altitudes from extinct humans
A new study shows that Nepalese people who live at high altitudes have a gene variant inherited from human’s ancient ...
Anti-GMO advocates try to scare diabetics off life-saving genetically engineered drug treatment
Usually food-obsessed anti-GMO advocates have turned their sights toward one of modern technology’s must prized successes: genetically engineered synthetic human ...
Shaking up science with transgenerational epigenetics and blurred species boundaries
A "top five ideas shaking up science" list from The Guardian and author Michael Brooks hits on two of the ...
T-cells trained to fight viruses offer hope for bone marrow transplant patients
A team at the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas has devised a much more efficient method for 'training' killer ...
Picture of risk: One family’s story of the threat of genetic disease
When a fetus may have a genetic condition, parents face a great deal of uncertainty when evaluating risk for their ...
Shitty story: Oldest-ever human fossil feces suggests Neanderthal’s omnivory
Poop is the 'perfect evidence' when it comes to answering questions about diet, and a record-setting new find of fossilized ...
What is ‘precision medicine’?
The future of precision medicine means every patient will have treatments and prevention tailored to his or her genes and ...
Under guise of ‘free market’, stem cell start ups take sick patients for risky rides
Some companies are marketing stem cell therapies to sick patients long before they've proven them safe or effective while governmental ...
Turning foe friendly: Domestication of infectious disease
With the shortage of antibiotics and resistant infections on the rise, evolutionary biologists might provide alternative for curbing infections disease ...
What to do when medical genetic screening reveals unexpected parent
When children's genes are analyzed to understand medical conditions, "incidental" information about parents can be revealed. The medical community has ...
Changing climates, mixing genes: Global warming may cause an increase in animal hybrids
A warming climate is shrinking many species' (e.g. polar bears, Bicknell's thrushes) habitats, to their detriment. It's also forcing many ...
Future of biofortified foods: Protests block advancement of super bananas and Golden Rice
Can biofortified crops really do any good in the world? Only if both sides of the biotech debate work together ...
Power to edit who you are
Gene editing in humans will soon become a treatment reality. But how will society determine which conditions deserve this treatment ...
What neuroscience can tell us about PTSD and how to rewrite our memories
Fear and memory share many connections in the brain. By understanding that physiology and relationship, neuroscientist Daniela Schiller hopes to ...
