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.
Immunorepertoire: New slant on personalized medicine
Antibodies and T cell receptors recognize all of the proteins in our bodies, and thereby provide a record of everything ...
Conservation efforts save some species, drive others to extinction
Species reintroductions are some of the most dramatic and compelling stories in conservation. Bringing back wolves, black-footed ferrets, condors, and ...
How will law enforcement use new rapid DNA-scanning technology?
Robert Schueren shook my hand firmly, handed me his business card, and flipped it over, revealing a short list of ...
Only birds evolved feathers, but many other species have genes for them, too
Feathers are like eyes or hands. They’re so complex, so impressive in their adaptations, so good at getting a job ...
Genome rich tapeworm makes way into man’s brain
A tapeworm that usually infects dogs, frogs and cats has made its home inside a man's brain. Sequencing its genome ...
Synthetic biology might aid in Mars mission
Mars is a long way off. About 34 million miles away, depending on planetary orbits. Space agencies planning a mission ...
Neanderthals distinct species from modern humans, new research claims
In an extensive, multi-institution study led by SUNY Downstate Medical Center, researchers have identified new evidence supporting the growing belief ...
Is a dead body a person?
On the night of July 19, 1916, halfway through the First World War, troops from Australia and Great Britain attacked ...
DNA music? OK Go band to release ‘genetic album’
OK Go makes power-pop songs—verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. What sets the songs apart is the way in which they are ...
How warfare shaped female psychological evolution
Evidence suggests that warfare is an ancient part of human life, dating back to when all humans lived as hunter-gatherers ...
UK scientists’ response to mitochondrial transfer criticism by prominent stem cell researcher
Dear Professor Knoepfler, Whilst we take no role in lobbying Parliament, we believe it behoves us to defend the findings ...
Sometimes, viruses make us healthy
When we talk about viruses, usually we focus on the suffering caused by Ebola, influenza and the like. But our ...
Stem cell cure for ‘bubble boy’ disease breakthrough in treating genetic disorders
Alysia Padilla-Vaccaro and Christian Vaccaro owe their daughter’s life to stem cells. Evangelina, now two, is alive today because she ...
Pigs engineered to grow human organs for transplant
In a provocative cross-species experiment, scientists are striving to rewrite the pig genome so the animal grows lungs that could ...
James Watson, co-discoverer of DNA structure, pays homage to father in new book
In 1953, at just 24 years old, James Watson made a discovery that brought him lifelong fame. At Cavendish Laboratory, ...
We might be able to clone mammoths, but should we?
I’m a paleobiologist at the Natural History Museum in London, and I live, sleep and dream mammoths. I doubt that ...
Sexual orientation can’t be explained by genetics alone
Just recently, the largest twin study to date examining genes’ influence on homosexuality was published in the journal Psychological Medicine ...
Successful hand transplant relies on brain’s ability to rewire itself
Recovery of feeling can gradually improve for years after a hand transplant, suggests a small study that points to changes ...
Can you think your way out of the depression box?
A form of therapy that focuses on changing negative thoughts and behaviors is showing promise in the treatment of depression ...
How to address ethical questions of egg freezing
Apple’s and Facebook’s announcement last month that they would offer $20,000 health insurance coverage to women employees to cover the ...
When does personhood begin?
I went to a Catholic high school, where I was taught in religion class that life begins at conception. I ...
Genetic links found for male homosexuality, but some scientists skeptical
A large study of gay brothers adds to evidence that genes influence men's chances of being homosexual, but the results ...
Repurposing genetics to search for ‘healthy’ genes
For most us, the scientific promise associated with understanding the human genome exists in uneasy tension with the quiet terror ...
‘Fountain of youth’ likely found in genes, not lifestyle
Researchers have just sequenced the genomes of 17 “supercentarians” — people over 110 years of age — and conclude that these long-lived ...
Exposure to mother’s immune response in utero may lead to neurological problems
Monkeys exposed in utero to their mother’s immune response to a mock infection show inflammation in their brains four years later. Researchers ...
Sex in space: What does the future hold when space tourism catches on
The recent crash of Virgin Galactic notwithstanding, we are on the cusp of an era of space tourism. We just ...
DNA engineered as ‘hard drives’ for information storage
A new DNA-based recorder allows bioengineers to create cell cultures that detect information in their environment and store it for ...
