Human Genetics Features
Preventing preterm birth: Preemie genes identified
A global team of researchers has zeroed in on genes that affect the length of pregnancy and may foretell elevated ...
Are sperm counts declining? What’s the role of ‘endocrine disruptors’?
The science community is divided over whether reports of declining sperm counts in men is actually occurring. One explanation--exposure to ...
Genetic testing lags for mental illness, forcing parents to seek answers online
Genetic counseling for potential mental illness in children should be just as responsive as counseling for "physical" disease. Right now, ...
How to argue evolution with creationists
Creationists and scientists have separate definitions for the word "theory." Getting caught up in arguments about the word's meaning is ...
‘Genome cloaking’ and the quest to keep DNA test results private
Stanford University researchers have developed a tool to keep individual genetic information private, reducing the risk of discrimination by employers ...
Obsessive-compulsive disorder in dogs: What can we learn about ourselves?
Canine compulsive disorder, like the version that afflicts humans, can take over the animal's eating, sleeping and basic functions. In ...
Unraveling the paradox: Why GMO drugs and GMO foods are treated differently by critics
Many of the people who express outrage over genetic modification of crops because it 'tinkers with nature' are supportive of ...
Crippling costs blunt potential of drugs harvested from living cells
Biologics are drugs grown in living cells, rather than produced through chemical reactions. They can be incredibly effective, but are ...
Does the ‘Nordic diet’ reduce stroke risk? Maybe, maybe not
Study gives teeth to claims that the Nordic diet--which limits foods to what people in Denmark, Sweden and other northern ...
Yoga may be good for your mind, body–but what about your genes?
Research suggests that yoga, and similar mindfullness-focused activities, may foster genetic changes that help people cope with stress and avoid ...
Could a Planet of the (Talking) Apes ever really evolve?
War for the Planet of the Apes is the latest entry in the 50-year old franchise. A scientist asks: do ...
Can we trust the eyes of those who witness crimes?
The credibility of eyewitness accounts has taken some hits from DNA evidence-based refutation of trial testimony. But there's more here ...
It’s time to talk about the ethics of CRISPR-edited human embryos
With groundbreaking human gene editing research moving forward, and human enhancement becoming a reality, decisions need to be made about ...
Micro RNA: Genetic suppression might control insect-borne diseases and limit pesticide use
New methods of controlling mosquitos without chemicals include releasing sterile males, spreading confusing pheromones and, most recently, disrupting egg development ...
Three-person IVF as an infertility solution has a long way to go
The procedure is typically targeted at parents who want to avoid passing a potentially fatal mitochondrial disease to their child ...
Could gene editing have saved Charlie Gard?
The British infant died of a mitochondrial disease as news broke that US scientists had successfully edited a human embryo ...
Sports and war: With concussions, there’s little difference between football, fighting
Evidence suggests "early aging" in the brains of troops is a result of experiencing bomb blasts. It may be similar ...
CRISPR revolution: How scientists are turning gene-editing hype into food and medical breakthroughs
The powerful gene-editing tool is becoming ubiquitous, appearing in the media with ever increasing frequency. But it's more than just ...
Have the BRCA mutation? Debating a precautionary mastectomy? Your genes may provide a guide
A new study offers a better understanding of the risks, by age, associated with the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. It ...
Pioneering gene therapy restores vision to people with rare retinal blindness
Spark Therapeutics is moving forward with its treatment for a type of inherited retinal dystrophy. In the wake of the ...
The obesity paradox: Why being fit may be more important than losing weight
Instead of focusing purely on weight, a better approach is one that also considers a person's physical fitness when assessing ...
How can the human race survive? By overcoming biological urge to procreate
Physicist Stephen Hawking adds to a growing chorus of catastrophists in claiming that humans could face extinction in the next ...
Designer babies? US scientists swap DNA in embryos, replacing mutation that causes heart problems
The breakthrough procedure might better be called 'gene correction' rather than gene editing. It could revolutionize genetic disease treatments, but ...
‘We are all mutants’: Why genetic testing struggles to provide answers
Genetic tests often can help us diagnose disorders and determine risk factors for disease. But uncertainties surrounding genetic mutations makes ...
Are our views on religion, astrology and new-age beliefs hardwired?
Our beliefs, including irrational ones such as an embrace of pseudoscience and 'fake news', have been shown to be somewhat ...
Isolated influenza mutations may help predict future global flu trends
A study of flu evolution in four patients with long-term infections revealed mutations that later appeared, independently, around the world ...
How facial recognition software may help identify genetic disorders
The technology might help in diagnosing rare genetic disorders. But the depiction of its promises and challenges by the media ...