Daily Human Digest
Every day, the staff of the Genetic Literacy Project scours the Web for stories on a range of human genetics issues, including gene editing, regulations and bioethics, gene therapy, epigenetics, personal genomics, evolution, ancestry and artificial intelligence. We publish excerpts of those stories and encourage our readers to visit the original publications for the complete stories.
Smallpox virus found in NIH storage ressurrecting concerns over sample management
Vials of the virus that causes smallpox were found in a National Institutes of Health research building that was unequipped ...
Kids with two mutations in HLA gene much more likely to develop celiac disease
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotype DR3-DQ2 is associated with dosage-dependent increases in risk for celiac disease autoimmunity and celiac disease ...
Tooth decay a genetic problem
Remember "The Big Book of British Smiles" from "The Simpsons"? The dentist used it to scare children into proper dental ...
Some see future of profit in stem cell line banking
About four years ago, Jay Tischfield, the director of RUDCR Infinite Biologics, a long-standing biorepository at Rutgers University, found himself ...
Strawberries and lawsuits: Future of favorite fruit hinges on intellectual property
When one of the world's foremost strawberry breeders decided to leave UC Davis, it sparked a controversy culminating in a ...
Donor egg pregnancies increase risk for complications for moms
Women who become pregnant using donated eggs have at least three times the risk of developing serious complications, a major ...
International clients flock to U.S. for surrogacy services
While babies through surrogacy have become increasingly common in the United States, with celebrities like Elton John, Sarah Jessica Parker ...
Genes, not lifestyle responsible for most common cancers
A study of individuals who have been adopted has identified genetics as the dominant risk factor in 'familial' breast, prostate ...
Practice does not make perfect: Elite sprinters destroy myth that athletes made, not born
The old adage, hyped by Malcolm Gladwell, that hard work can turn almost anyone into a champion is popular among ...
Musical accomplishment depends on genes and environment
Mom or dad may have driven you to cello rehearsal all those years, but you can also thank your genes ...
Don’t pick on three-parent IVF: We already create ‘designer’ children
A new type of in-vitro fertilization procedure allows doctors to transfer the mitochondrial DNA from one woman into the egg ...
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 ...
Cells’ defense systems may play role in causing autism
What causes autism is a mystery. One theory is that a phenomenon called the cellular-danger response lies at the root ...
Massachusetts biotech incentives eclipsed by competitive states
Massachusetts has made its way over the past half-dozen years to being an undisputed leader in biotechnology and life sciences ...
Stem cell creation technique changes their usability
In the process of converting a somatic cell to a stem cell, researchers have questioned whether the resulting cells retain ...
Using genetic risk and math, scientists predict which teen drinkers will develop problem
Scientists have pinpointed lots of factors that increase the risk of alcohol misuse — a bit. Adolescents who are anxious ...
U.S. EPA expands definition of biofuel to include gas from landfills, manure and sewage
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday expanded the types of fuel that can be used to satisfy the federal ...
GM mosquitoes could breed to extinction, leaving malaria parasite no host
Kill the mosquito and you kill the disease. That is the usual approach to controlling malaria. And if done properly, ...
Evolution sometimes happens without conveying advantage
Generally speaking, we tend to think of evolution in purposeful terms: There must be a reason for difference, an explanation ...
Genetically engineered red blood cells could be drug delivery drones
Red blood cells may one day do more than carry oxygen around the body – they have been genetically engineered ...
H1N1 flu controversially engineered to escape immune system
A controversial scientist who carried out provocative research on making influenza viruses more infectious has completed his most dangerous experiment ...
Quick and dirty gene exchanges not just for bacteria
A single gene from bacteria has been donated to fungi on at least 15 occasions. The discovery shows that an ...
Controversial stem cell papers finally, officially retracted
Following months of controversy, editors at the scientific journal Nature have retracted two high-profile studies that purported to demonstrate a ...
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 ...
Crimean Karaites hybrid population comprised of ancient Israelite and non-Israelite ancestries
The ancestral origins of the Turkic speaking Crimean Karaites have at times been contentious with several competing theories. This study ...
UV light absorbtion drove benefit of light skin mutations in human evolution
The popular idea that Northern Europeans developed light skin to absorb more UV light so they could make more vitamin ...
Gene modification of adult cells offers more hope for Type 1 diabetes than stem cells
By deleting a single gene in human gut endocrine progenitor and serotonin-producing cells, researchers reported that they were able convert ...
