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.
Meanness, alas, is in our genes
Mean is in the cradle. Many scientists believe the tendency toward antisocial behaviour is present in a small but constant ...
Lyme bacteria show that evolvability is evolvable
Some gamblers succeed by spiriting cards up their sleeves, giving them a wider range of hands to play. So do ...
Genetics in the Caribbean show marks of Atlantic slave trade
The Caribbean's complex history has given the area more than diverse languages and delicious food. The indigenous South Americans, Europeans ...
Telomeres lengthened by weight-loss surgery
Researchers have found that gastric bypass surgery, which can assist in weight loss, may also lengthen telomeres and, as a ...
Ancestry and bitter tastes
I do love me some sprouts! Greens, bitters, strong flavors of all sorts. I’ve always been like this. Some of ...
What’s it like to live in the age of genome sequencing?
Every child born in the United States is today screened for diseases at birth, though the range of testing is ...
Many would give private health info to insurers to save a few bucks
Many Americans say they'd submit to insurance company medical tests and lifestyle monitoring in exchange for lower-cost premiums, a new Harris ...
Deciphering genomic data via video games
So much data, so little time. That’s the problem confronting geneticists studying the bewilderingly complex human genome, in which no ...
Single-cell genome sequencing gets better
Researchers led by bioengineers at the University of California, San Diego have generated the most complete genome sequences from single ...
DNA hint of European origin for dogs
The results of a DNA study suggest that dogs were domesticated in Europe. No-one doubts that "man's best friend" is ...
Open-access genome project lands in UK
The open-access genome project in the UK, led by Genomics England, has a lot in common with the Personal Genome ...
Are Republicans really anti-science?
For years, the Republicans have been labeled the "anti-science" party. But, a new article explores and challenges the basis for ...
Angelina Jolie revelation tripled breast, ovarian cancer genetic testing
The number of Australian women referred to genetic clinics tripled immediately after Angelina Jolie's announcement that she carried a faulty ...
Breast cancer researchers identify genetic ‘switch’
Queensland scientists have identified a genetic "switch" that indicates whether breast cancer is aggressive and likely to spread. The discovery may provide a ...
Bitter taste gene may have been evolutionarily beneficial
It can be puzzling sometimes when someone else finds the taste of your favorite food to be disgusting, but research ...
Dad’s cocaine use may help protect son from addiction
Cocaine use may not make you a better dad, but it may make your son a bit more resistant to ...
Scientists reconstruct genomes of Ice-Age animals
The genomes of giant Ice Age animals were reconstructed thanks to a new technique that may advance our understanding of ...
Why hospitals will soon sequence the genes of every single patient
After studying cases and training for years in medical school, doctors are able to identify patterns in a patient’s test ...
A virus hitched a ride in our ancestors genome, and changed human brains forever
Long ago, part of one virus's genome merged with the human genome. Now it's in each of us, helping to ...
Is limb regeneration science fiction? Maybe not
Limb regeneration remains the stuff of science fiction for humans, but an accidental discovery suggests people may yet be able ...
Florida Supreme Court rules egg donor has parental rights to her partner’s child
The Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a woman who donated an egg to her lesbian partner has parental rights ...
Regions human genome changed more rapidly than others
New genetic research has revealed the existence of certain regions in the human genome that have changed or mutated more ...
IVF embroys approved for longer and longer storage times
More WA couples are getting permission to store their frozen embryos beyond the normal 10-year limit, figures show. In-vitro fertilisation ...
Stem cells of obese women promote the growth of breast tumors
Obesity causes changes in stem cells that can result in cancers growing more aggressively, say scientists at Tulane University School ...
Fast-mutating DNA sequences shape early development
What does it mean to be human? According to scientists, the key lies, ultimately, in the billions of lines of ...
Your genes influence your political views. So what?
A small but active cottage industry has sprung up to explore the genetic bases of political attitudes and behavior. Studies of ...
Depression makes cells age faster
Even when adjusted to account for excluded lifestyle differences, a recent study shows that depressed patients have shorter telomeres, a ...
