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
Marketing to the big data inside us
Start-up "Miinome" plans to create a club that stores the DNA data of genome-sequenced people ...
Hacking biotechnology: Do-it-yourself wonders and worries
What happens when you mix the do-it-yourself ethos of hacker culture with the ethically and emotionally fraught landscape of biotechnology? ...
Ask a geneticist: Race and IQ?
This Q&A with a geneticist offers a crash-course in genetics, race, and intelligence for the curious layperson ...
Errors cast doubt on landmark stem cell cloning paper
Sloppy mistakes cast doubt on claim of first-ever human stem cell cloning success ...
Personal genomics and accidental paternity tests
What happens when your 23andMe results reveal that your brother is your uncle and your father isn't your father? ...
Detective story: How genomics found the culprit in Ireland’s Great Famine
In an impressive bit of genomic sleuthing, researchers have used dried potato leaves to decode the genome of the fungus-like ...
Microbiome: How the bacterial genes in our gut impact us
For every human cell that is intrinsic to our body, there are about 10 resident microbes ...
Genetics continues to garner attention as conservation tool
Genetics continues to make headlines in conservation efforts, even if it's not the species-saving panacea some hope for ...
Stem cell therapy deserves a dose of skepticism
Stem cells are at risk of becoming "the new snake oil peddled by 21st century charlatans" without better regulation and ...
Jason Richwine affair raises prickly policy issues on IQ
The firing of Jason Richwine from the Heritage Foundation for his controversial 2009 thesis on race and IQ reflects poorly ...
Breakthrough GE potato doesn’t brown or produce potentially carcinogenic compound
Biofortified interviews the man behind a new genetically engineered potato that doesn’t brown when cut or fried nor make acrylamide, ...
A minimalist genome: Sometimes “junk” DNA really is junk
Whether or not "junk" DNA is actually useful has been a topic of debate. A new paper in Nature examining ...
What role will genetics play in a biology-based approach to psychiatry?
Calls for a biology-based psychiatry are growing louder, but how will genetics fit into this puzzle? ...
Charlemagne for everyone! Royal DNA all around
Everyone who lived a thousand years ago who has any descendants today is an ancestor of every European ...
Head for numbers? Brain anatomy best predictor of math aptitude
Children who are good at math may literally have a brain for numbers. New research indicates that the physical structure ...
The evolution of prenatal disease
Scientists have begun to tease apart the interactions between evolution, genetics, disease, and pregnancy ...
Bad brains: Did my DNA make me do it?
Are perpetrators of violence suffering from a medical condition that demands a public health reaction that might radically alter the ...
Cancers united by common genetic patterns
Evidence grows that cancers are best defined by their genetic fingerprints, not their organ of origin ...
Could dwarf lemur genomes hold the key to long-distance space travel?
Two species of dwarf lemur hibernate, an unusual trait in primates. By mining the genomes of these species, scientists might ...
Gene therapy combats heart failure, provides renewed hope for genetic medicine
A new treatment offers hope for patients suffering heart failure, and also for scientists who would like to see gene ...
Wary development NGOs should reconsider biotechnology
The world of science, technology and engineering might seem, for good reason, miles away from the day-to-day work of most ...
Public domain Human Genome Project spurred more innovation than proprietary competitor
Does intellectual property drive innovation? Not in the field of genomics, according to a recent study by an MIT economist ...
DNA Day and the Genetic Revolution
DNA Day is this week! To celebrate, IEEE Spectrum has rounded up several excellent pieces about the genetic breakthroughs that ...
The definition of ‘marriage’ evolves with culture
Gay marriage exemplifies a profound part of human nature: our capacity for cultural evolution ...
Happy birthday, Human Genome
In the 10 years since the completion of the Human Genome Project, genetic science has moved forward in leaps and ...
New Canadian bill would prevent genetic discrimination
Canada's liberals are calling for restrictions on how insurance companies can use genetic information ...
The great gay showdown: Genes vs. germs
Ron Unz, former businessman and conservative political activist, blasts through two rival explanations for homosexuality: the Gay Gene hypothesis and ...
