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
Preventing preterm births: Genetic cause could be in the fetus, not the mother
Given the complexity of pregnancy, taking all evidence-based precautions against preterm birth is a wise course of action. But it ...
Unraveling mystery of obsessive-compulsive disorder: A personal journey
This daily ordeal, among other irrational behaviors I suffered, was physically and emotionally exhausting, yet it wouldn't subside until I ...
Is Nature safer, healthier in medicine and food? Deadly take on controversial topic
It's called the "naturalist fallacy". Naturalist beliefs that seeds or foods developed in part by scientists, often working in laboratories, ...
Bob Simon’s final 60 Minutes: Grinding progress of ZMAPP Ebola GMO drug
The final story of Bob Simon's brilliant journalism career put him in the middle of a GMO controversy--the use of ...
Coming age of Xenotransplantation: Would you accept an organ from a pig to save your life?
21 people die every day in the US awaiting a transplant. A shortage of organs means a shortage of organs ...
Was Beethoven’s music inspired by genetic mutations for arrhythmia?
Arrhythmia is a largely a genetic condition that can greatly hinder--or in the rare case of Beethoven, inspire--life. New research ...
Drugs from where?! Female genitals may be source of uniquely effective antibiotic
Despite the yuck factor, bacteria that colonize our bodies are proving to be an effective source of medical treatments including ...
Circadian desynchrony: Can obesity be treated with electricity?
Could a key factor in the obesity epidemic be attributed to the disruption of our metabolic functions (which are intended ...
Jurassic World: Can cloning revive extinct species, protect endangered ones?
DNA can remain stable in bones for millions of years. Can it be mined to resurrect long-dead velociraptors? Woolly mammoths? ...
Starship “Egg”: Sending unborn, frozen embryos across interstellar space
Hibernation is a wonderful option for a small crew of explorers, but for a distant planet with an Earth Like ...
Alert for athletes and astronauts: Gene editing moving into clinics, results promising
An elite athlete, a mountain climber, an aspiring astronaut or test pilot—any of these might be a good candidate for ...
Extending healthy life through gene manipulation: Sounds cool but it’s complicated
There has been a recent flurry of news and excitement about tracing the the genetics of athletic ability, effects of ...
Why this year’s flu vaccine wasn’t great and what can be done
The unusually poor effectiveness of this year's flu vaccine calls for renewed efforts to create better vaccines, faster. What do ...
Nanotechnology and medicine: Coming of microscopic machines that treat disease
It’s been the stuff of science fiction: Sending miniaturized machines through the human body to repair organs internally, without the ...
Are we locked into our biological clocks? Night shift workers want to know
What are the risks of altering our biological clocks with long term rotating shift work? Can the biolgical clock be ...
Worried you have cancer? Take a Google pill!
Google X, Google’s research unit, is working on technology that combines disease-detecting nanoparticles, which would enter a patient's bloodstream via ...
Cancer, bad luck and some lessons in science reporting
The controversy surrounding a study that suggests cancer is mostly due to bad luck has some lessons for science reporting ...
Can humans really tell apart a trillion smells?
New research questions study that claimed humans can discriminate 1 trillion smells. Scientists do belieive that there is a chance ...
Why did some experimental HIV vaccines increase risk of infection?
Several experimental HIV vaccines have not only failed but in some cases have increased the risk of infection. A new ...
Private umbilical cord cell banking: Good idea or scam?
You only have to Google search “cord blood” or similar phrases, or even just read an article about pregnancy and ...
Viruses that make us smarter? Not really
News reports about viral gene fragments in the human genome making us smarter exagerate claims made by the research study ...
Apple juice may help ward off Alzheimer’s disease
Emerging evidence suggests nutrition plays a more critical role in neurodegeneration than originally thought. As little as two glasses of ...
Is obesity rooted in your genes? Not exactly
In what seems to be another piece of evidence in favor of genes being impacted in differential ways over time ...
Can we yet use genetics to determine which sports are best for our kids?
Can you choose sport based on your biology, or better yet a sport that might be good for your kids? ...
Genes have a time clock, new obesity study reveals
Although genes drive many human behaviors, new research suggests their impact changes over time—when the environment changes so does the ...
Malaria vaccine? Genetic engineering turns parasite into vaccine candidate
By knocking out key genes, researchers have created a version of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite that is harmless yet still ...
Can chemicals evolve? Testing recipes for the origin of life
Scientists are testing the ability of simple chemicals to evolve under the guidance of a robot. Could this be one ...
