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.
Arrested for a felony? You must provide DNA, appeals court says
A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld California's law requiring people arrested for felonies to submit samples of their DNA ...
Gene regulator plays role in Alzheimer’s
Along with symptoms of cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease patients often have an accumulation of plaques and tangles of proteins in ...
Gene mutation linked to irritable bowel syndrome in some patients
Approximately 2% of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have a mutation of the SCN5A gene that disrupts sodium channel ...
New insight into the genetics of how blood cells form
Research published online in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology, presents an unprecedented look at five unique ...
New synthetic genes for human favorite baker’s yeast
The humble baker's yeast has been enlisted to serve the needs of humanity, responsible for beer, wine and bread, among ...
Breakthrough biology: First synthetic chromosome for yeast created, capping month of biotech innovations
Scientists have created the first man-made chromosome for yeast, a landmark for synthetic biology that promises to push the boundaries ...
Gene studies suggest ‘races’ may exist but sociologists push back, fearing stereotypes
Sociologists worry that research into population differences will create a new kind of racism while geneticists believe that social scientists ...
Epigenetic changes may spur autism
Recent findings suggest that certain environmental factors can influence the development of autism spectrum disorder. About one in 100 people ...
Opt in or opt out? Battle over Minnesota’s newborn genetic screening law
The Minnesota Department of Health would regain broad authority to test and store blood samples from newborn babies under legislation ...
Map of how DNA controls cells may boost gene therapies
The clearest map yet of how genes control cells to make our bodies work has been drawn up. The map ...
Genetics has dramatically changed the fields of archeology and anthropology. What next?
We are in the midst of an an ancient-genomics boom. In the past year, researchers have unveiled the two oldest ...
Pre-natal neuron disorganization may cause autism
Nobody knows what causes autism, a condition that varies so widely in severity that some people on the spectrum achieve ...
Genes determine when and why rheumatoid arthritis is triggered
A new international study has revealed how genetics could explain why different environmental exposures can trigger the onset of different ...
DNA identifies missing WW2 soldier, but US won’t use technique to find more
U.S. Army Private First Class Lawrence S. Gordon — killed in Normandy in 1944, then mistakenly buried as a German ...
Birth of ‘living materials’ at MIT combines synthetic biology, materials engineering
Hot on the heels of the creation of bionic plants, MIT has announced the development of "living materials" using bacteria, ...
Can grapefruits be dangerous with drugs? The answer is in our genes
Many people believe that just because a food is unprocessed that it's safe. But many foods can interact with drugs, ...
Cows genetically engineered to make human disease antibodies
A herd of 60 genetically engineered cows in northwestern Iowa could help unlock the key to producing new medicines that ...
Gene expression goes realtime with MRI
Doctors commonly use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to diagnose tumors, damage from stroke, and many other medical conditions. Neuroscientists also ...
Why wooly mammoths were so darn extinction-prone
It’s long been known that some of the last woolly mammoths to walk the planet lived in or around the ...
DNA tests show Elvis Presley prone to obesity and heart disease
Elvis Presley may have died because of genetic conditions that made him prone to obesity and heart disease - rather ...
How to dance to show off your genes–and catch a woman’s eye
Want to show off your excellent genetics on the dance floor? Well, biologists have figured out which dance moves are ...
Largest genome ever sequenced: Loblolly pine
A new record: scientists successfully sequenced the genome of the loblolly pine, a 100-foot-tall tree with 23 billion base pairs ...
Twin studies in space! Astronaut brothers to explore impacts of spaceflight
NASA is launching a first-of-its-kind study of identical twins to learn more about how long-term spaceflight affects the human body ...
New bipolar treatments possible with stem cell model of disease
Skin cells taken from people with bipolar disorder have been turned into brain cells. These in turn are offering up ...
Genes at the dentist? Fresh take on gum disease
A study published in the Journal of Dental Research suggests a new system for classifying periodontal disease that may allow ...
DNA shows early humans killed off giant ostrich
The moa, a giant, ostrich-like bird, lived on New Zealand until the late 13th century, when it went extinct. But ...
MIT scientists engineer cells that talk to each other
The living and the non-living worlds are not so incompatible after all. A group of researchers have now designed “living ...
