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.
Google’s biotech company Calico poaches prominent SF geneticist
Google's mysterious health venture dedicated to extending human life has quietly lured a prominent scientist away from UCSF, The Chronicle ...
Staph may have acquired resistance genes for common antimicbrobial hand sanitizers
Sneezing out antimicrobial snot may sound like a superpower, but it actually could be a handicap. Triclosan, an omnipresent antimicrobial ...
Replacement arteries working in human patients
Even in the 1990s, the procedure seemed primitive. Laura Niklason watched it repeatedly as a medical resident at Boston’s Massachusetts ...
State lawmakers hold genetic counseling regulation hostage with ‘conscience clause’
Seeking a state licensing processes genetic counselors have pushed for legislation. Lawmakers have forced the inclusion of conscience clauses that ...
Epigenetics might explain how humans differed from Neanderthals despite very similar genes
The DNA sequences of Neanderthals and other extinct human relatives have exposed lost migrations, sexual escapades and even new species ...
Donor conceived kids sometimes struggle with identity
When I was 7 years old, my father told me I was conceived through an anonymous sperm donation. As he told ...
MIT-Harvard Institute patents CRISPR gene editing technique
One of the most important genetic technologies developed in recent years is now patented, and researchers are wondering what they ...
Adult cells cloned to create embryos that match adult donors
Scientists for the first time have cloned cells from two adults to create early stage embryos, and then derived tissue ...
If you’re rich enough to freeze your eggs can you stop your biological clock?
There comes a point in every childless woman’s life, usually around 35, when the larger world becomes very interested in ...
Microbiome imbalances may impact seasonal allergies
When we think of allergies, we typically think of the itchy eyes and sneezing fits that are the hallmark of ...
It’s time for a cancer genomics revolution
Cancer genomics has produced some major successes; genetically tailored drugs are around the corner in the UK. But as this ...
Anti-GMO fear of ‘foreign’ genes? Ferns are latest examples of ‘natural’ genetic modification
Ag biotechnology opponents fret that transferring genes across species is "unnatural" and "dangerous." But it happens in nature--naturally. A study, ...
Searching for the super genius genes
BGI wants to sequence everything and everyone on the planet. It's particularly interested in finding the genes for genius. A ...
Teenage cancer survivor sequences her very rare tumor
As a child, Elana Simon suffered for years from crippling stomach pain. Yet despite trips to multiple specialists, her pain ...
New Ebola outbreak from novel strain
The Ebola virus that has killed scores of people in Guinea this year is a new strain — evidence that ...
Proteins on surface of egg and sperm must couple for fertilization
Juno, a long-sought protein named after the Roman goddess of fertility and marriage, has been discovered on the surface of ...
DNA test that replaces Pap smear draws criticism
A high-tech screening tool for cervical cancer is facing pushback from more than a dozen American patient groups, who warn ...
Genes may determine who recovers quicker from concussion
Six months off may not be long enough for the brains of football players to completely heal after a single ...
Dad’s waistline may affect child’s autism status
Looking at the family records for over 90,000 women who were pregnant in Norway between 1999 and 2008, and analysing ...
Rare genetic disorder causes severe impairment in siblings, but also conveys super immunity
A brother and sister with an extremely rare genetic condition have a stunning ability to fight off viruses — an ...
Investigating the microbiomes of modern hunters and gatherers
It is now abundantly clear that the microbes that live in our bodies are critical parts of our lives and ...
Irish human rights group warns of expanding use of DNA testing by police
A Government proposal which would allow the taking of DNA samples for “mass screening” of certain “classes”of individuals should be ...
Racial component to thyroid disease
Some diseases are more dominant in certain groups than others. Disorders of the thyroid may be among illnesses for which ...
Viral infections gave Strep bacteria killer genes
By examining decades' worth of stored bacteria samples, researchers have determined how a benign organism evolved into a deadly pathogen ...
Reverse engineered lung cells created
Consider the marvel of the embryo. It begins as a glob of identical cells that change shape and function as ...
Lab grown blood fit for human transfusion, a regenerative medicine first
“We have made red blood cells that are fit to go in a person’s body," says Marc Turner, medical director ...
Genetically engineering humans for enlightenment?
Transhumanist David Pearce thinks the best way to create a better world is through genetic engineering to halt human and ...
