Health
Mystery of obesity: Failed ‘rectal transplant’ raises questions about role of gut microbes
A recent fecal transplant case leading to serious weight gain has resulted in a rule against overweight fecal donors. Did ...
Food Babe plays race, sexist shill cards from “Deck of Deflection”
Vani Hari's new book attacking chemicals and GMOs in food is a roaring sales success. But that hasn't stopped critics ...
Kit expands genetic screening options for Ashkenazi Jewish couples
When a Jewish couple is planning their wedding or anticipating starting a family, they probably aren’t thinking much about rare ...
20-year saga with brain disease highlights questions about precision medicine plan
Which chapter came first? Was it the genetic predilection for alcohol that created [Barbar's] lifestyle (pure chaos) and environment (streets, shelters, hotels)? ...
Mother Jones’s missed opportunity to reverse GMO safety consensus denialism
A year ago, Mother Jones published a balanced report on crop biotechnology, embracing the global consensus that GMOs are safe--a ...
‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ rewritten for horny biology nerds
Ricki Lewis, a genetic counselor and biology textbook author, has her own unique take on the salacious bestselling book and now ...
For cancer, timing and order of mutations determine outcome
For the first time, researchers have proved that the order in which cancer genes mutate affects the type of malignancy ...
How Food Babe mobilized an army against GMOs and chemicals
Over the past three years, Vani Hari has rapidly become one of the most popular voices on nutrition in mainstream ...
Trouble settling down? Sexual promiscuity may be hardwired in genes
Next time your significant other catches you in bed with someone else, try this defense: "Don't take it personally, babe ...
Screening for rare disorder saves couple from second childbirth nightmare
A Colorado couple has two healthy children thanks to sophisticated genetic screening. They were able to choose disease-free embryos over ...
Designer children? Will movement for 3-parent babies change how we view parenthood?
Last week members of the British House of Commons passed a bill legalizing mitochondrial DNA transfers--a process that combines three ...
Should human genetic modification always be considered taboo?
Want to see what a genetically modified human looks like? Just glance in the mirror. You are the result of ...
Is century-old remedy the solution to antibiotic resistance?
Since the discovery of penicillin in 1928, scientists have amassed a medical arsenal of more than 130 antibiotics. The drugs ...
Obesity linked to our nervous system
The team scoured DNA libraries of more than 300,000 people, constructing the largest-ever genetic map of obesity. Looking for consistent ...
Coming age of Xenotransplantation: Would you accept an organ from a pig to save your life?
21 people die every day in the US awaiting a transplant. A shortage of organs means a shortage of organs ...
Discussion with Mary-Claire King: Breast cancer gene discoverer
There has never been a scientific career quite like Mary-Claire King’s. Years ago, her doctoral thesis concluded that humans and ...
Was Beethoven’s music inspired by genetic mutations for arrhythmia?
Arrhythmia is a largely a genetic condition that can greatly hinder--or in the rare case of Beethoven, inspire--life. New research ...
Drug-resistant malaria may pose enormous threat, doctor warns
Despite a sharp drop in malaria-related deaths over the past decade, a veteran doctor here, in the heart of the ...
Challenge to Apple, Facebook: Unfair to prioritize egg-freezing over childcare
The pressure is immense. In stepped a few corporate giants with a plan meant to help young (and youngish) women ...
How do viruses become contagious?
Here are two recent stories about viruses. They started out alike, and ended up very differently. In October, a woman ...
DNA testing under fire in wake of fake herbal supplements investigation
An investigation using DNA barcoding of four giant retailers--Walmart, GNC, Target and Walgreen's--finds most supplements do not contain the herbs ...
Does harder living translate to shorter lifespans?
A common belief among human life history researchers is that "harsher" environments - i.e., those with higher mortality rates and ...
What’s lurking in New York City’s subway?
The Wall Street Journal released an interactive map of the bacteria in New York’s subway system. And as expected, it's ...
How oncologists sort through masses of genetic data
Whether they are concerned with a mutation of a single gene, or mutations in a combination of two or more ...
Precision medicine is a big step in the right direction
Re “ ‘Moonshot’ Medicine Will Let Us Down” (Op-Ed, Jan. 29): Michael J. Joyner asserts that precision medicine, an exciting ...
In retrospect, Obama’s personalized medicine initiative is nothing new
In the State of the Union speech delivered on January 20, President Obama made the first announcement of what seems ...
Genome tracking tech could make improve food safety and reduce food fraud
Each year foodborne illnesses caused by these microorganisms sicken 48 million Americans, hospitalize 128,000 and kill 3,000.... Food fraud is ...