Health & Medicine
Through the study and use of genetics, we can identify measures that could lead to the improvement of human health and wellness. These methods and procedures aim to prevent years of chronic disease and thousands of dollars in health care costs, and provide families and communities with knowledge of how to live healthier.
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Two of a kind? Twins offer unique glimpse into human development
In the world of genetics, identical twins offer a valuable source for study. And they've shown that our genetic makeup ...
14 corn genes identified that could boost vitamin E levels
New research has identified genes that control vitamin E content in maize grain, a finding that could lead to improving ...
Unlocking the mystery of complex diseases
In our effort to find the answers to some of the most afflicting conditions and diseases known to science, biologists ...
What’s the excitement over gene therapy?
Gene therapy has been in the news a lot of late as a potential cure for a variety of genetic ...
GMO canola high in omega-3 oils up for regulatory approval in Australia
The first genetically modified canola with health benefits is being scrutinised by [Australia's] Office of the Gene Technology Regulator. The ...
‘Young blood’ infusions may boost cognitive abilities of Alzheimer’s patients
The first controlled, but controversial and small, clinical trial of giving young blood to people with dementia has reported that ...
How do you define ‘species’? Turns out, it’s not so easy
At first glance, “species” is a basic vocabulary word school children can ace on a test by reciting something close ...
Natural insecticide created with spider venom and genetically modified yeast
Scientists have noticed the powerful punch some spider venoms pack, and have started looking to them for inspiration for all kinds ...
Viewpoint: Challenges to glyphosate, neonic safety shows science under attack from ‘viral misinformation’
The news of scientific prejudice [in the decision by IARC stating that glyphosate was a likely carcinogen, on top of ...
EU glyphosate herbicide ban would make weed control harder for French winegrowers
Bad weather this year has already prompted a steep drop in French wine output, contributing to a 50-year low in global ...
Closing gap between rich and poor farmers: CRISPR gene editing targets disease, pests and climate
Gene editing technology could revolutionize the way scientists breed high-yielding drought, disease and pest resistant, quality plant seeds, greatly reducing ...
100 billion neurons make up our brain—how does it all work?
[Editor's note: Sara Linker and Tracy Bedrosian are postdoctoral research fellows in the Laboratory of Genetics at the Salk Institute for ...
Universally shared biodata could create powerful ‘internet of living things’
Imagine students in universities becoming the first “sequencing line of defense” by detecting bacteria resistant to antibiotics and educating their ...
Cancer treatments gain strength when linked to genomic tests and therapy
In an interview with ETHealthworld, Dr Govind Babu, Associate Professor at Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bengaluru, discusses the rapid advancements in genomics, ...
IQ debate: How much of intelligence is determined by genetics?
[Editor's note: Robert Plomin is deputy director of the MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Center at King’s College London.] ...
There’s a reason you have trouble thinking and remembering when hunger sets in
Why is it so hard to think while you're hungry? Researchers now believe it may come down to one protein ...
Viewpoint: Gender equity debate demands understanding of biological differences
[Editor's notes: Marta Iglesias is a predoctoral researcher in the Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Lisbon. Her research is focused on how ...
Creating a brain cell ‘periodic table’ from live tissue
There are 86 billion neurons in the human brain and no two of them are exactly alike. If doctors and ...
Viewpoint: Confirmation bias, conflicts of interest plague ‘science’ behind glyphosate cancer claims
Anti-biotech activists hate the herbicide glyphosate, sold by Monsanto under the brand name Roundup. Those activists won a victory in ...
Cost effective? What DNA screening might catch that we are not likely to find
Known broadly as the MyCode Community Health Initiative and run by the Danville-based Geisinger Health System, the effort has so ...
CRISPR gene-edited cassava could help stave off food crisis in Nigeria
Cassava brown streak disease can keep a cassava farmer awake at night. It can lead to complete crop loss, is difficult to ...
Bangladesh releases high-yielding disease-resistant wheat variety to farmers
As wheat farmers in Bangladesh struggle to recover from a 2016 outbreak of a mysterious disease called “wheat blast,” the country’s National ...
Conjoined twins: How do you decide which one to save?
Doctors at the MassGeneral Hospital for Children faced an ethical challenge when a pair of conjoined twins born in Africa ...
If you aren’t a morning person, evolution may be to blame
[A] study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences in July suggests our bodies and ...
‘Designer babies’ are coming soon, but who gets to have them?
Designer babies are coming in 20 to 30 years. Your children will be able to select, to some degree, their ...
The race to grow meat without slaughtering animals—can genetic engineering help?
Operating with a team of just 10 (though it's expected to grow to 40 in a matter of months), [Memphis ...
‘Awakened’ vegetative man shows how viral stories raise false hopes
A man recently “woke” from a vegetative state, crying again after “regaining consciousness,” creating a flurry of news coverage. Yet as exciting ...
