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.
Gene therapy scores big wins against blood cancers
In one of the biggest advances against leukemia and other blood cancers in many years, doctors are reporting unprecedented success ...
Do we need to be protected from our genomes?
The Food & Drug Administration provoked a furious controversy when it recently ordered the personal genetics company 23andMe to stop ...
One geneticist’s take on the 23andMe FDA warning
As a geneticist. I spend a lot of time looking at genomes. But until I taught my “Genetics and Society” ...
Comparison of aging patterns sheds light on evolutionary purpose of aging
A new comparison of aging patterns of humans and 45 other species reveals that some species live much longer than ...
For now, genetic tests raise more questions than answers
An increasing number of private companies are offering to read people's DNA in the same way that a computer reads ...
Right or left, politics may be in the genes
While we all pride ourselves on having developed our political identity after a lengthy period of thoughtful contemplation, it turns ...
Home genome testing is here to stay
The FDA is right to be angry that 23andMe doesn't appear to be taking the regulatory process seriously. There are ...
Gene predicts how well you’ll respond to common antidepressants
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, but they don't work for everyone. What's more, patients ...
23andMe debacle: Government wants to protect you from your own genome
Did you know that you cannot be trusted with knowledge of your own genetic background? That's what the Food and ...
How to share DNA, for science, but keep some semblance of privacy
The notion of a genetic testing company selling one’s DNA code the way an online retailer sells email addresses feels ...
Nearly a quarter of cow genome comes from snakes
According to a new article, “horizontal gene transfer” allows genes to cut themselves out of surrounding DNA and paste themselves ...
Can we inherit fear of a smell? The latest on transgenerational epigenetics
Can humans inherit the experience of fear? Male mice trained to fear a particular harmless smell before they sire offspring ...
23andMe facing class action suit for making ‘genetic predictions’
23andMe is now faced with a class-action lawsuit that challenges the company's claims of genetic tests' predictive power ...
Debate over ‘selfish gene’ theory heats up
A recent article by science writer David Dobbs argued for the need to revise the “selfish gene” theory, prompting a ...
Review: Craig Venter’s Life at the Speed of Light
In May 2010, a team of scientists announced that they had created synthetic life. The researchers had used four bottles ...
Zoo animals tend to be genetic disasters
Many popular animals kept in zoos across Europe have become deeply inbred and very little "genetic integrity", a new report ...
First hints that genes control likelihood of getting concussions
Researchers have found links between certain genes and a football player's susceptibility to getting a concussion. It's a scientific detective ...
Epigenetic mechanisms behind mediation’s beneficial health effects
While there have been multiple scientific studies providing evidence that meditation can have a positive influence on a person’s health, ...
DNA Ahead: tour the science of genetics by playing a board game
DNA Ahead, an educational board-game kit, helps players learn how DNA and advances in DNA science affect nearly every aspect of ...
Female promiscuity a pragmatic approach to survival
New research suggests that female primates seek out multiple sexual partners as an evolutionary strategy and opportunistically shift that strategy ...
Are male contraceptives on the horizon?
Using a new approach, scientists have come up with a male contraceptive that has proven 100% effective in early test ...
Can coffee and beer influence aging?
We know that your choice of coffee or beer affects your mood — but can it influence your genes as ...
400,000 year-old human DNA revolutionizing view of evolution
Deep inside the Atapuerca cave system in northern Spain, 30 metres beneath the surface, lies the Sima de los Huesos, ...
23andMe ban is downright antiquated
In the week of November 24, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a bold shot across the bow for the ...
Is eating DNA safe? Of course.
Eating DNA sounds scary but it’s completely safe. I do it every day. Let me explain. DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic ...
23andMe slapped with class action lawsuit
Genetic testing company 23andMe has been slammed with a $5 million lawsuit less than a week after the Federal Drug ...
Commercial personal genetic tests: Buyer beware
Sixty years ago James Watson, Francis Crick and colleagues ushered in the modern science of genetics. Ever since, people have ...
