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.
“Adam” born 338,000 years ago in revised estimate
DNA collected from an African American suggests that the "genetic Adam" may have lived far longer ago than previously thought ...
Human ‘map’ matches lifestyle to genetic makeup
The following is an edited excerpt. New technology created by scientists at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, as part of ...
Storing and sorting Big Data in messy DNA memory
The following is an edited excerpt. The Library of Congress contains 35 million books and documents. Its Web Capture team ...
Synthetic biology comes down to Earth
The Chronicle of Higher Education profiles Jim Collins, a Boston University bioengineer and founder of synthetic biology ...
‘Worry’ genes may stifle risky investments
The following is an edited excerpt. People who have a certain combination of anxiety-generating genes often worry, and that anxiety ...
Viruses pass major test to enter ranks of living creatures
The following is an edited excerpt. Viruses can acquire fully functional immune systems, according to new research that bolsters the ...
A DNA test can reveal what your mutt’s made of
The following is an edited excerpt. When Leila was born, Kirsten McKee didn't know much about the baby daddy. All she ...
Myriad Genetics win on gene patents is appealed
The following is an excerpt. Myriad Genetics Inc. (MYGN)’s Australian court victory recognizing its ownership of patents for genes linked ...
Brain-net: Telepathic mice first step in creation of biological computer
Using neurotechnology, scientists have created rats that can communicate telepathically across continents. Some neuroscientists think the experiments could lead to ...
The papers of Watson, Crick, and other genetics pioneers now available online
The following is an excerpt. Codebreakers: Makers of modern genetics, which launches today atwellcomelibrary.org/codebreakers, contains more than one million pages ...
Genetics of age-related macular degeneration analyzed
The following is an excerpt. A coalition of 18 different research organizations has identified seven new genetic regions associated with ...
Genetic link between obesity, melanoma
The following is an excerpt. The gene most strongly linked to obesity and overeating may also increase the risk of ...
Scientists find mechanism by which Parkinson’s mutation kills brain cells
The following is an excerpt. March 3, 2013— (Bronx, NY) — Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have ...
College genetics gets personal
Classes that deal with personal genetic results are popping up on college campuses with backing from 23andMe ...
Five major mental disorders share genetic link
The following is an edited excerpt. The psychiatric illnesses seem very different — schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, major depression and ...
Thriving cancer’s ‘chaos’ explained
The following is an edited excerpt. The way cancers make a chaotic mess of their genetic code in order to ...
The gene machine and me
The following is an edited excerpt. It’s a fresh April morning in 2012 when I head to Connecticut to see ...
Solid-State Sequencer Debuts at Genome Conference
The following is an edited excerpt. Nabsys, a DNA technology startup, showed off today its solid-state gene sequencing machine at ...
Lice genes reveal human migration
The following is an edited excerpt. Lice genes could offer insights into human migration, according to new research. The new ...
An embarrassment of “-omes”: Which ones matter?
Forget the genome. We're drowning in transcriptomes, epigenomes, and other -omes. How many of these categories are useful and how ...
Circular RNAs throw genetics for a loop
The following is an excerpt. Behold the latest curio in the cabinet of RNA oddities: naturally occurring circular RNA molecules ...
Can genetics solve France’s twin rape mystery?
The following is an excerpt. A pair of identical twins is currently being detained in the French city of Marseille for six ...
Five most common mental illnesses may share genetic root
The following is an excerpt. The biggest study yet into genetics and mental health has come up with a stunning ...
Geneticists try to date the publication of the Illiad
The following is an excerpt. The Iliad—Homer’s story of the Trojan War, and the battle between Agamemon and Achilles—is one of ...
Louse genome offers insight into human migrations
The following is an excerpt. A new genetic analysis of human lice from across the world sheds light on the ...
Human Genome Project leader weighs in on Supreme Court gene patenting case
The following is an edited excerpt. Late last year, the nation’s highest court said it would consider a legal challenge ...
UK’s sale of personal gene data condemned as ‘unethical and dangerous’
Critics say companies could acquire personal information that would identify patients without their consent ...
