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.
Mating barrier theory of speciation called into question
While scientists have catalogued millions and millions of species, there is still no agreement on how exactly new species form ...
Alligator teeth could help humans grow new gnashers
USC researchers have uncovered the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind tooth renewal in alligators. The scientists found that when an ...
Does nature or nurture decide our sexuality? Could it be a little of both?
How much influence do genes have on gender and sexuality? Watch two prominent scientists debate vastly different answers to this ...
Do genetic advantages make sports unfair?
In “The Sports Gene,” there are countless tales of the genetics of athletic excellence, examples of all the ways that ...
An easier way to control genes
MIT researchers have shown that they can turn genes on or off inside yeast and human cells by controlling when ...
The ethics of ‘mini human brains’
You’ve probably already heard about the miniature ‘human brain’ grown in laboratory. It’s not hard to see why these little blobs ...
The social life of genes
Scientists have known for decades that genes can vary their level of activity, as if controlled by dimmer switches. Most ...
‘Highly programmable’ DNA cubes could be used for drug delivery
3D cages made from strands of DNA could be used as a nanotechnology solution for drug delivery. Cubes of DNA, ...
New theory on the origins of life on Earth
Martian minerals dissolved in groundwater are much more likely to yield a key building block for life – phosphate – ...
Researchers extend human epigenomic map, possibilities of personalized medicine
Harvard University scientists have extended our knowledge of human epigenomics, which could lead to a breakthrough in personalized medicine and ...
Life insurance and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
GINA doesn't apply to life, disability, or long-term care insurance. But genetic information could radically change the insurance landscape ...
New technique for simultaneous gene visualization and epigenetic analysis
Techniques exist to visualize specific gene loci within tissue sections. And separate test-tube experiments exist to determine those genes’ epigenetic ...
Martians on Earth: Compounds from Mars may have seeded life on our planet
New findings suggest that Mars holds the key ingredients needed for the evolution of life itself, suggesting that life may ...
Whales tan to protect DNA from UV damage, like humans do
In humans, skin pigmentation protects DNA from UV damage. Blue whales react to the sun’s rays similarly, darkening their skin ...
Of humans, primates, and pigs
We humans share a lot of DNA with chimps and other primates, so there’s no real doubt we reside fairly ...
Genetics and training push athletic ability to the limit
From club runners to Olympians, every athlete has a limit. Scientifically, this limit is defined as the body's lactate threshold ...
Life insurers slammed for treating genes as destiny
An eminent Australian geneticist has slammed life insurance companies that refuse to cover genetically vulnerable people, saying the companies are ...
Genetic tests reveal need for vitamins
Genetic testing and a vitamin supplement helped dietitian Dr Sylvia Escott-Stump find a stable path for her son after he ...
Genome studies reveal roots of TB drug resistance
A new catalogue of tuberculosis bacteria genomes may help researchers ID and treat drug-resistant strains ...
The coming tsunami of genomic information, and questions that go with it
This past spring, scientists posted online the complete genome of cells derived from Henrietta Lacks, revealing information about her -- ...
Lactose tolerance and convergent genetic adaptations
A genetic phenomenon that allows for the selection of multiple genetic mutations that all lead to a similar outcome - a ...
Genetic study of intestinal bacteria shows low gut bacteria diversity link to obesity
Individuals with fewer numbers of so-called “good” bacteria are more likely to be obese and develop obesity-related ailments such as ...
A host-jumping, genome-splicing, avian virus that humans may have helped along
A paper published in PLOS Biology, “The Extraordinary Evolutionary History of the Reticuloendotheliosis Viruses”, describes a spectacular story of host-jumping, genome splicing ...
Whooping crane migration learned, not genetic
Scientists have studied bird migration for centuries, but it remains one of nature's great mysteries. How do birds find their ...
10 reasons why growing a human brain-in-a-dish is terrific
The growth of a mini-brain is revolutionary in more ways than one. PhD Ricki Lewis describes the ten most exciting ...
Genetic manipulation extends mouse lifespan by 20%
Suppressing specific gene expression improved mouse longevity, but we're a long way from using the technique to control human aging ...
Gene for age-related memory loss
The forgetfulness that comes with age may be reversible, researchers reported on Wednesday. They found the brain cells involved in ...
