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
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 ...
What is ‘precision medicine’?
The future of precision medicine means every patient will have treatments and prevention tailored to his or her genes and ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Pace of reproductive technology makes health effects hard to measure
Over the past 34 years, assisted reproduction like IVF has gone from exceptional to mainstream. The procedures have changed rapidly, ...
Little Lord Kahn and the edge of genome technology
An infant born earlier this month is the first known child to have his genome sequenced before birth. As more ...
DNA testing may be the only part of forensic science that’s actually scientific
Forensic science -- the wizardry on display on CSI -- is often bunk. Worse, the government has known this for ...
US has homegrown stem cell controversy
Boston-based stem cell researcher Piero Anverza is under formal investigation after retracting prominent papers on stem cells and heart disease ...
Cure for HIV? New gene-editing technique shows promise
A few lucky individuals have a mutation that makes them highly resistant to HIV. This mutation is also behind the ...
Oxytocin may be secret hormone that fights aging
Oxytocin is best known for its role as a crucial human bonding hormone. A new study suggests it's also needed ...
Can GMO crops help fight global warming?
In the fight against global warming, our planet's ability to reflect light and heat is dropping. In a warming world, ...
Writing by hand may open a conduit to human creativity. Have we evolved to write?
Studies show the cognitive and physiological uniqueness of handwriting. Did humans evolve to write? ...
Does our anthropocentric view of genetics keep us from scientific discovery?
We often attribute disease causing agency to microbes. But any human heath effects they have were discovered haphazardly through evolution ...
Nanoparticles in sunscreen get bad rap, but evidence they cause human harm is slim
Most consumer sunscreens use nanoparticles to keep products effective and transparent. But some call the safety of this micro technology ...
Has the war on synthetic biology already begun?
Scientists are worried that synthetic biology might succumb to the same vitriolic culture war that has slowed innovation of genetic ...
Behavioral genetics enters the courtroom
Behavioral genetics is now being used in courtrooms to help establish and justify defendants crime and reduce sentences. But the ...
