Daily Human Digest
And the survey says… genetics of asparagus odor in urine still unclear
In the past several years, new gene technology has reopened research into the sulfurous odor of urine after eating asparagus, ...
Dietary amino acid, once thought redundant, is actually essential
Asparagine, which is found in foods such as meat, eggs, and dairy products, was once considered non-essential because it is ...
FDA defends challenge to 23andMe
Alberto Gutierrez doesn’t want to look like the bad guy who’s getting between you and your DNA. “We don’t have ...
Will 23andMe spur a run on mastectomies? Probably not.
What are the FDA’s bureaucrats so worried about? Basically that purchasers of 23andMe’s personal genome services will do something dangerously ...
Is the Food and Drug Administration killing personalized medicine?
The Food and Drug Administration's outdated regulatory requirements are choking pharmaceutical innovations in personal genomics and molecular medicine ...
Researchers hammering away at a chink in HIV’s armor
HIV evades the immune system by use of a protein coat. Now researchers have shown that the coat can be ...
Influential women in biotechnology recognized as pioneering innovators
Thirteen women in the biotech industry are recognized for their accomplishments and contributions to the industry ...
In Israel, push to screen for breast and ovarian cancer genes leaves many conflicted
Israeli Jews, facing the world's highest incidences of breast and ovarian cancer, but among the lowest rates of mastectomies, are ...
Bio-artist uses bacteria and antibiotics to color textiles
Bio-artist Anna Dumitriu uses deadly bacteria, such as MRSA, and antibiotics to color textiles in an attempt to challenge the relationship ...
Brain change starts early for infants with gene linked to Alzheimer’s
For decades, researchers have been trying to determine when brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease first begin in patients. Now, ...
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act: much ado about nothing?
Earlier in 2013, it was reported that the EEOC had filed two lawsuits against employers, one in New York and the other ...
Genome instability and mutation a hallmark of cancer
Not all cancer cells are equal. They vary, they compete, and the fittest survive to pass on their genes to ...
Gene mutation makes mice choose wine over water
Researchers have discovered a gene that regulates alcohol consumption and when faulty can cause excessive drinking. They have also identified ...
Models and actresses sought after for IVF donations
The hottest role these days for a young actress? Egg donor. Egg "agents" are aggressively recruiting models and actresses, whose ...
First Americans were Europeans. Sort of. It’s complicated.
Native Americans, who have a significant amount of East Asian genes, are thought to have first traveled to America from ...
Texas School Board beats back anti-evolution proponents in approving new science textbooks
The Texas State Board of Education has voted to adopt high school textbooks including accurate instruction on evolution and climate ...
Genes reveal how whales evolved for ocean life
Approximately 54 million years ago, whales and other cetaceans diverged from land-dwelling mammals and gradually evolved to live a productive ...
New company developing “DNA surgery”
When a tumor grows on an organ, doctors remove it. When a hip stops working, they replace it. When a ...
Male or female? Why a cell’s sex matters
It may surprise you to learn that -- like humans -- cells can be male or female. The distinction is ...
Are brains gendered, genetically?
Are boys and girls fundamentally different? Is pink for girls and blue for boys? Is there truth in the insinuation ...
Newly-discovered gene network may aid treatment of Parkinson’s disease
Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have used RNA interference (RNAi) technology to reveal dozens of genes which may ...
New, fast sequencing process uses online databases to ID new viruses
It can take weeks or months to identify a new virus, but only days for one to kill, so researchers ...
Achilles heel found for previously “undruggable” cancer gene
An "undruggable" cancer gene which has evaded treatment for 30 years could finally be conquered following a breakthrough by US ...
Genes influence if you shrug off punishment or take it to heart
A new study reveals that certain genes related to serotonin or dopamine influence how we make choices based on rewards ...
Cannibal Neanderthals ate an anicent family, DNA evidence suggests
Scientists have found the site of a Neanderthal massacre, where a group of them slaughtered and ate a dozen of ...
Gene for brown hair, blue eyes and freckles discovered
A genomic variant strongly associated with sensitivity to the sun, brown hair, blue eyes and freckles has been identified by a new ...
Neuroscientist has the genes of a psychopath but an otherwise normal life
One afternoon in October 2005, neuroscientist James Fallon was looking at brain scans of serial killers. “I got to the ...