Daily Human Digest
Sex testing should not be designed to suppress Caster Semenya’s born talent
[Caster] Semenya’s case is the latest saga in sport’s checkered history of sex testing, a task that is purportedly aimed ...
Scientists creating genetically engineered synthetic supermicrobe
It’s not finished yet. But if it is, it will be the greatest feat of genetic engineering by far. A ...
Latest gene therapy trials herald good news as drug developments escalate
It’s much too soon to tell whether the gene therapy that 12-year-old Hannah Sames had last month for GAN is having ...
Gene mapping may raise false hopes, some scientists worry
Harvard geneticist George Church is convinced everyone should have his or her genomes sequenced. Such tests would reveal the rare ...
Epigenetics, pregnancy and the Holocaust: How trauma can shape future generations
The fetus of pregnant moms who experience traumatic events are permanently effected? Are the changes passed down to future generations? ...
Mitochondrial DNA reveals what Iceman Oetzi wore 5,300 years ago
DNA analysis of Oetzi the Iceman's clothes has traced their origin to at least five different species of animal. Among ...
Personalized medicine industry in distress over Supreme Court’s tightening of patent laws
Rejections for US patents related to personalized medicine have spiked after recent Supreme Court decisions tightened the rules for such ...
Anti-GM mosquito efforts may expose more people to Zika
[R]esidents in South Florida are in a unique position to become the testing ground for a promising new experiment that ...
‘World’s smartest physicist’ believes consciousness will remain unsolvable
Some mind-ponderers...argue that consciousness is unsolvable. Philosopher Owen Flanagan calls these pessimists “mysterians,” after the 60’s-era rock group “Question Mark ...
Differences between brain at work and at rest may influence intelligence
Your brain activity differs depending on whether you're working on a task, or at rest — and just how much ...
Researchers find 17 different genome locations associated with depression
A recent study...identified five independent gene variants from four genome regions that are associated with depression, raising hopes that we ...
Two genes linked to enhanced breast cancer survival identified
Testing for the activity of two genes could pick out women who are at increased risk of dying from their ...
Large genetic database reveals how our individual DNA differs
ExAC...is a compendium of genetic information that...[is] so big that it is giving scientists a much more realistic vision of ...
Brains of schizophrenics may repair themselves over time
[Psychiatrist] Lena Palaniyappan...and other mental health professionals have noticed is that, unlike those with degenerative neurological disorders[,]...sometimes schizophrenia patients eventually start ...
Lead discoverer of ‘three-parent baby’ method breaks 13 year silence—affrms technique’s safety
When scientists announced in 2003 they had used a pioneering technique for the first time to create so-called ‘three-parent babies’, ...
Legal battle over CRISPR ownership heating up
Beneath the technical and legal jargon...filed in the battle over CRISPR patents is a simple argument that...comes down to this: ...
CRISPR gene editing may help treat sickle cell disease
An international team of scientists led by researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has found a way to use ...
Genes help Latinos age slower than other ethnic groups
Latinos age slower than any other ethnicity, a study has found. Scientists refer to the phenomenon as the 'Hispanic paradox', ...
Cancer survivors at high risk to develop obesity
A recent report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology presents some puzzling news — survivors of some types of cancer ...
Personal DNA tests carry high risk of privacy breach
Where did my ancestors come from? What can my genes tell me about lurking health dangers? Is this child really ...
Genetic evidence identifies schizophrenia as ‘modern’ disease
Schizophrenia is a "modern" disease, which developed after humans diverged from Neanderthals, between 300,000 and 700,000 years ago. Scientists say ...
Clinton pledges to continue Biden’s Cancer Moonshot efforts if elected president
Hillary Clinton endorsed the Obama administration’s cancer moonshot initiative on [August 15] and pledged to continue its work if she is ...
DIY CRISPR-Cas9: Should we fear or embrace programmable gene editing kits for the home?
When you hear about do-it-yourself CRISPR, you may imagine amateurs cooking up something dangerous in their kitchens. But that is ...
Video: DNA looks much different than what you might think
Biology textbooks like to depict DNA looking like an abstract spiral staircase, representing the classic double helix shape. However, real ...
Gene therapy 2.0: Will CRISPR make expensive treatment accessible to all?
Gene therapy, at a million dollars a treatment, will run up a patient's medical bill quickly. Can CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing ...
Do East African distance runners dominate races due to genetics?
More than 10,000 athletes from 206 different nations will compete for glory in [the 2016] Olympic Games...But when it comes ...
Everything you need to know about CRISPR gene editing
CRISPR refers to unusual DNA sequences that help protect organisms by identifying threats – especially viruses – and attacking them ...