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.
Below is the complete archive of related articles sorted by date.
Winning the fertility race: Does one ‘super gene’ control sperm size and shape?
The shape, size, and swimming speed of sperm all depend on one supergene, according to new research with zebra finches ...
‘Simple’ blood exome test analyzes 20,000 genes to identify rare diseases
In 2012, [10-month old] Calvin Lapidus became the first patient to undergo exome sequencing at UCLA. He was subsequently diagnosed ...
Chemist on Food Evolution: Activists present their case but movie shows science isn’t on their side
[Editor's note: Yvette d'Entremont holds a B.S. in chemistry and a master's degree in forensic science.] Imagine there was a documentary ...
Early onset menopause and type 2 diabetes may be genetically linked
The early onset of menopause has been shown to correlate with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according ...
Genes explain why some children don’t easily recover from common colds
Researchers funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) have discovered mutations that worsen respiratory infections among children. Their study ...
Bacteria-induced inflammation may contribute to Alzheimer’s
People with Alzheimer's disease may have higher levels of bacteria in their brains compared to people without the condition, a ...
Artificial intelligence meets precision medicine: IBM Watson computer 1000 times faster than humans
Researchers said Watson provided actionable insights within 10 minutes, compared to 160 hours of human analysis and curation typically required ...
Why identifying ‘autism genes’ is so elusive
Researchers are unlocking the mystery of autism's origin. Yes, it's mostly 'in the genes,' but what that means is one ...
Viewpoint: Africa must modernize farms by embracing biotechnology to fight malnutrition
[Editor's note: Mark Lynas is a British journalist and environmentalist.] Africa desperately needs agricultural modernisation. With the most rapidly growing population ...
Ugandan professor: NGO scare-mongering confuses public about GMO crops’ potential for good
[Editor’s Note: Morris Ogenga-Latigo is a member of the Pan African Parliament and former member of the Uganda National Biosafety ...
Can GMOs and organic work together to feed growing population?
In theory, genetic engineering could make a valuable contribution to sustainable agriculture. Some plant diseases are virtually impossible to control ...
Government of region where half of India’s mustard is grown says it won’t allow GM seeds even if approved
The Rajasthan government ... said it will never allow commercial cultivation of GM mustard even if the Centre approves it, ...
Viewpoint: Racial IQ gap debate stirs mischief
Suppose it's true. Suppose that, at the end of the day, people of African descent have lower IQs on average ...
Junk collecting: As little as 8 percent of our DNA may have functional impact
The code that makes us is at least 75 percent rubbish, according to a study that suggests most of our ...
Two new genetic mutations linked to Alzheimer’s
New research moves us closer to understanding the genetic underpinnings of Alzheimer's disease, as scientists find two new genes that ...
Opinion: Why the National Organic Program’s funding should be eliminated, not just cut
[Editor's note: Henry Miller is a physician and molecular biologist, and a Fellow in Scientific Philosophy and Public Policy at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. He ...
Will genetically modified pink pineapples encourage millennials to eat more fruit?
If you were one to eschew your mom's plate of fruit back in the day, we've discovered a treat that'll make ...
Gut feeling: Microbiota could aid fight against depression, high blood pressure and weight gain
The trillions of microorganisms in the gut affect our physical and mental state in myriad ways. Can we influence this ...
‘Mosquito factory’ churns out sterile males produced without genetic modification to fight Zika
100,000 live mosquitoes, all male, all incapable of producing offspring [are released daily in Fresno, California]. … Though counterintuitive, the ...
Surviving the cure: Stem cell transplant that saved a patient’s life now poses mortal threat
A few months before completing medical school in 2003, Lukas Wartman was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a blood ...
Do your kids have ‘soccer genes’? The pseudoscience of many genetic tests
[A] growing number of scientists [are] pushing back against wild claims in the consumer genetics market, which is flush with tests promising ...
Why human-like robots are creepy
The robot revolution is on the horizon...One report says that they’ll be commonplace by 2025. In another case, a professor claims ...
Feeling tired? Easy cure? Unfortunately, ‘sleep science’ consumed by hype
Nutrition science is notoriously unreliable. The reason is because a substantial proportion of research in the field is conducted using ...
Judge dismisses lawsuit claiming ‘natural’ label misleads due to parts per million glyphosate herbicide
A federal judge has dismissed a class-action lawsuit against General Mills over the company's use of "natural" to describe the ...
Pamela Ronald: Sustainable farming should focus on impact of crops, not on how seeds developed
[Editor's note: Pamela Ronald is a rice geneticist at the University of California Davis.] Many worthy people objected to the production ...
Berkeley professor Zilberman: No, Michael Pollan, Food Evolution movie is not ‘propaganda’
[Editor's note: David Zilberman is a professor of agriculture and resource economics at the University of California Berkeley.] Food Evolution is a ...
With GMO insect-resistant sugarcane approval, Brazilian farmers poised to reap benefits of biotech pipeline
With the approval of Brazil's fourth genetically-engineered crop--insect-resistant sugarcane--Brazil is emerging as the most genetically innovative developing country ...
