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.
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 ...
Older fathers have less attractive children because genetics
Older fathers have less attractive children because of extra genetic mutations in their genes, scientists have found. Children of older ...
Genetics make some people prone to depression
Why do some people sail through life's difficulties, while others get mired in depression? A certain gene may explain such ...
Facing the limits of DNA-based mug shots
It's being dubbed "molecular photofitting": producing an image of a suspect's face from DNA left at the crime scene. New ...
Everyday forgetfulness may have genetic basis
New research shows that everyday forgetfulness may be caused by a certain gene variant, offering a genetic explanation for people ...
Is good parenting in the genes?
Scared expectant parents are always told that knowing how to take care of their offspring just comes naturally. Turns out ...
Personalized medicine may cost more than cures
Personalized medicine promises to offer targeted, individualized treatment to the masses. But what will it do to the pharmaceutical industry ...
We’ve got more in common with Neanderthals than once thought
If you'd asked me five years ago whether modern humans and Neanderthals interbred, I'd have said: probably not. I wasn't ...
Can genome editing cure AIDS?
Yes. At least, in theory. But, theory might soon become practice according to the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine ...
Gene linked to low IQ in kids discovered
Scientists have identified a gene variant that is strongly linked to low IQ in kids. The research, led by Peter ...
Your genes give you a unique world of smells–1.7 trillion scents
Humans can distinguish between 1.7 trillion smells on average. Ed Yong blogs about it at National Geographic, revealing in the ...
Why, when and how did the chicken cross the Pacific?
Using ancient chicken DNA, researchers at the University of Adelaide’s Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD) have attempted to trace ...
Y chromosome: wimpy or lean and mean?
Fear not for genetic machismo: Reports of the human Y-chromosome’s demise are greatly exaggerated. Over time, it may have evolved ...
Genetic mug shots created from DNA samples
Using a new technique, researchers can build photorealistic 3d images of people, virtual mugshots, based on just their DNA ...
Three genetic parents = one healthy baby
Since January, a new California law allows for a child to have more than two legal parents. But children are ...
Kids who don’t cry: New genetic disorder discovered
What do you do when your baby lies limp in your arms, staring blankly into the distance while never crying? ...
Genetics says Sea Anemones are half plant, half animal
The sea anemone is an oddball: half-plant and half-animal, at least when it comes to its genetic code, new research ...
Transhumanism in the crosshairs: The dark side of radical longevity
Will the radical longevity promised by futurists like J. Craig Venter allow us to create hell on earth, intentionally or ...
Uncharted waters of whole genome sequencing
A few years ago, when I spoke with Euan Ashley, MD, associate professor of medicine and of genetics, about the ...
Is it riskier to give children experimental treatments, or not to?
In Colorado, a scientist places a needle in a developing embryo. He removes the cells and melts them to isolate ...
Social behavior affects genetic makeup in dolphins
A UNSW-led team of researchers studying bottlenose dolphins that use sponges as tools has shown that social behaviour can shape ...
Fried food packs a greater caloric punch for some, based on genetics
A diet full of fried foods isn't good for anyone, but it may result in more weight gain for people ...
Patient cracks her own mysterious diagnosis by studying her genetics
Kim Goodsell started noticing physical ailments about 20 years ago, when she was in her 30s and training for an ...
From scourge to saviour: Using viruses to treat serious disease
Viruses have traditionally been mankind’s enemies, causing disease and often mutating out of the reach of our medicines. But now ...
Half of meat product samples contained DNA of wrong animals, British council finds
Half of the meat samples tested by a local authority food safety team last year contained species of animals not ...
