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
Should have asked Hamlet: Study finding Danish genes foster happiness needs some work
Why a study alleging Danes are happiest and French most grumpy because of their respective gene pool is not worth ...
Targeted antibiotic treatments–What’s on the horizon?
New research is uncovering ways of modifying bacterial enzymes to make future antibiotics more specific - and thus less likely ...
Genetic “hall of mirrors” with large palindromes, yet smaller: What’s mighty about the mouse
Human Y has been described as a genetic "hall of mirrors" riddled with several regions of large palindromes. Believe it ...
Designer babies: You can screen for cystic fibrosis but intelligence is a ways off
Using a technique called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, it’s possible to screen embryos for disease and sex before they are implanted ...
Spontaneous mutations and the genetic mysteries of autism
At least 30% of all autism cases is caused by spontaneous, or de novo, mutations. Lends new weight to hypothesis ...
In biotech, no one is afraid of the big, bad wolf (spider)
Spiders are friends and understanding the natural world can help us achieve advances in areas like biotechnology, human health and ...
Mars bars for brain health? Not so fast
A widely publicized study showed that a component in chocolate may have protective anti-aging effects for the brain. But based ...
Genetic technologies offer long and short term views of Ebola dangers
High yield genetic sequencers, cell phones and paper-based diagnostics are all being employed to develop a cohesive picture of the ...
DNA-based electrical circuits might serve as basis for computers, detect genetic disorders
A new technology may soon be born at the intersection of genetics and computer science. An international team of scientists ...
Organic activists reject science, propose ‘natural’ Ebola cure, claim government conspiracy
As often happens in times of medical crises, fringe groups come out from hiding--in this instance, organic activists in the ...
Hydrocooling helps sweet cherries survive the long haul
People like their sweet cherries sweet but getting them from place to place in the modern world isn't without challenges ...
Does no-till agriculture boost global crop yields?
No-till farming is considered a key conservation agriculture strategy because it avoids conventional plowing and farming practices. It has been ...
‘Hobbit species’ continues to provoke questions about course of human evolution
In 2003, researchers excavating a limestone cave on the remote Indonesian island of Flores made an extraordinary discovery: the 18,000-year-old ...
Cancer genetics: YEATS protein as target for cancer
The human body has an unprecedented capacity to move genetic material from place to place, including a packaging and delivery system ...
Genetic variant helped in the Arctic, but now makes us fat
Researchers have discovered a genetic variant that arose thousands of years ago in people living in the Arctic. It helped them then, ...
How the human immune system resets after Staph infection
When pathogenic bacteria like Salmonella or Staphylococcus invade our bodies, we go into a state of high alert and alter ...
Before sperm meets egg
In high school biology, we all learned that development of a new organism is a complex endeavor ...
Genetics of congenital heart defects in Down syndrome
In Down syndrome, the most common chromosomal abnormality in humans, a third copy of all or part of chromosome 21 is ...
Gluten-free fad food choice, rarely medically dictated
Millions of people have lately adopted a gluten-free diet by self-diagnosing with gluten sensitivities in spite of the fact there ...
Genetic mutation missed in 20% of colorectal cancers responsive to drugs
A new research effort has identified a genetic mutation that has been overlooked in recent large, comprehensive gene searches - ...
How to sell a toxic pesticide the smart way–call it organic
Puzzled about how organic pesticides and synthetic ones have such a different perception among Whole Foods shoppers? Here is an ...
US Ebola hysteria and money pit highlight lack of resources to confront diseases that kill far more people
The Ebola hysteria underscores how frenzy rather than need drives government responses and resources. Listeria is a disease that's not ...
Addiction can be measured by epigenetics
Both alcohol and cocaine dependence are regulated by epigenetic changes in the brain that begin with abuse. Matched with the ...
An end to fat shaming? The 50 year DNA mystery of metabolic dysfunction may soon be solved
Eat all of the pizza you want? Unlikely, but some people do have a biological disadvantage when it comes to ...
Women carry fetal DNA long after children’s birth
Women and their offspring exchange small amounts of DNA during pregnancy. Those fetal DNA signatures can last a lifetime in ...
Mutagenesis: One way Europeans wish it was 1936 again
Want to use ionizing radiation and mutagenic chemicals to create herbicide-resistant crops without the messy GMO protests? Mutagenesis is the ...
Closer examination of risk factors for Latinos underscores cultural diversity
Investigations into the genetics of disease in Latino populations are yielding interesting patterns of risk and protection from disease. The ...
