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
Athletes and gay men: Behavioral genetics reveals puzzle pieces, not prophecy
Every day we are told of a new link between our genes and behavior, from sports to sexuality. How should ...
Looking for a few DNA needles in a million haystacks in the hunt for disease cures
The Resilience Project wants to find people with genes that should cause extremely rare diseases, but who never developed the ...
Talking about genetic disorders: How much information do we need—or want?
It may be easy to dismiss appeals to scientific literacy as high-minded, idealistic and impractical; but geneticist Morgan Thompson believes ...
Feminist group struggles with defining ‘woman,’ accusations of transphobia
Is the feminist organization "Radfems Respond" falling behind the times by refusing to recognize trans women as female? Growing awareness ...
Surrogacy is global business, but loose laws leave murky situation for all involved
Demand and affordability have forced many potential parents to seek surrogacy through international clinics in India, Thailand and Mexico. But ...
Epigenetics can drive cancer, may be target for new treatments
The first direct evidence that epigenetics alone -- tweaks to gene expression -- can drive cancer in mice demonstrates that ...
Anti-biotech Center for Genetics and Society exaggerates dangers of gene editing technology
A healthy public debate is emerging over the revolutionary new genetic engineering tool known as CRISPR. Challenging anti-GMO dogma, it's ...
Google wants to define health using Big Data
Google's getting in on the big-genome-analysis game with the "Baseline Project," which seeks to examine gather information (genomic and otherwise) ...
For Jamaican athletes, speediness is in the genes
Let's put political correctness aside: World class athletic ability is in the genes, and the success of Jamaican sprinting just ...
Raising the dead: ‘De-extinction’ science could lead to rescue of threatened wildlife
Philip Seddon, zoologist at the University of Otago in New Zealand, addresses the fears of regenerating species as a tactic ...
Largest-ever genetic study of schizophrenia cements genetic links
By identifying more than 100 new distinct genetic regions associated with schizophrenia, an international team of hundreds of scientists may ...
Tallying the supercentenarians
The recent death of 111 year old Alexander Imich highlighted the difficulties in keeping track of the world's oldest people, ...
Can regenerative therapy restore vision and the promise of stem cell technology?
Despite a great deal of hype, especially in the world of sports, the promised magic of stem cell therapy is ...
Can neuroscience offer advice on business relationships?
Jan Hills, founder of leadership development consultancy Head Heart + Brain, sat down with IBTimes UK to talk about her ...
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, ...
Video: Genetic engineering allows MIT researchers to implant false memories
Can you install a false memory in the brain? Researchers at MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have shown ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
