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.
Can’t have a baby? Is choosing your child’s genetic parents’ characteristics racism, vanity or eugenics?
Many people choose gametes--donated eggs and sperm--so that their child will look like them but also have a certain IQ ...
Assisted reproduction may help same-sex couples conceive, but won’t end stigma towards non-traditional families
A new study from Cambridge University and the Weizmann Institute of Science predicts the use of skin cells and stem cells to create biological ...
Mammoth genes could be used to create new species of ‘Arctic’ elephant
Unlike their elephant cousins, woolly mammoths were creatures of the cold, with long hairy coats, thick layers of fat and ...
First baby born through promising new IVF technique using stem cells
Doctors in Canada have begun a new chapter in medical history, delivering the first in a wave of babies through ...
Chain of evolution isn’t as neat as it’s made out to be
Anyone familiar with evolution knows that humans (relatively complex organisms) evolved from simpler forms of life over the course of ...
Can Myriad Genetics maintain hold on breast cancer tests two years after loss of patents?
Myriad Genetics Inc., used a patent-protected monopoly to become one of the most successful and controversial DNA testing companies in the world ...
Genes might explain differences in how we experience emotions
Your genes may influence how sensitive you are to emotional information, according to new research by a UBC neuroscientist. The ...
Do we have the answer to the origin of life?
There's a problem at the heart of biology. It is: No one knows why all complex life is so similar ...
Can a genetic test tell you what sport you should play?
My family and I - husband Kenny and my children, Lois and Reuben - sent off a swab to be ...
NIH won’t fund research towards human embryo gene editing
Recently, the use of gene editing has proven a useful practice in the prevention of genetic diseases and disorders for ...
Newly discovered DNA base added to genetic code
A sixth DNA base has been identified by researchers, adding to the five that were known to occur in the ...
Newly discovered organism may bridge evolutionary gap between simple and complex cells
The discovery of a new microorganism may help bridge the knowledge gap between simple and complex cellular organisms, also shedding ...
China cracking down on illegal sex selection
China on Friday announced its latest crackdown on prenatal gender exams and illegal abortions despite further progress in narrowing the ...
Humans and dolphins: Same big brains, separate evolutionary paths
Until our upstart genus surpassed them, dolphins were probably the largest brained, and presumably the most intelligent, creatures on the ...
Litterbugs, beware: DNA tests used to shame public offenders
Toss a soda can on the street in Hong Kong, and you could find a DNA-generated picture of your face ...
Are designer babies really in the near future?
Ever since in vitro fertilization made it possible for parents to select embryos with the best genetics, precisely-engineered progeny have been ...
Using the human mind to control how genes work
Combining two technologies –optogenetics and neuroelectromechanical interfaces — researchers based in Switzerland and France have demonstrated a means for control ...
Cellular ‘doughnut’ marks most important stage of human development
Embryos of many organisms grow from two cells to four, then eight, and so on until there are thousands in ...
Fresh human eggs for sale: The hot, new college job
College is expensive and student loans take ages to pay back. Here's a unique solution: sell your body. No, not ...
Threat of antibiotic resistance causing serious concern for future disease outbreaks
The National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies says such an outbreak could be expected to hit 200,000 people - and ...
Hospitals to begin consulting IBM’s Watson for cancer treatment
Fourteen U.S. and Canadian cancer institutes will use International Business Machines Corp's (IBM.N) Watson computer system to choose therapies based ...
Does DIY synthetic biology promote science, or distort it?
The Do-It-Yourself synthetic biology movement (or, DIY synbio) is mixed up, in a naive and dangerous way. What it's advocating ...
If human head transplants become a thing, what are the ethical questions we’ll need to ask?
In case you haven’t heard, a doctor in Italy has announced plans to transplant a guy’s head onto a new ...
Scientists tracing Ebola’s mutations hope to answer questions about latest outbreak
The picture is not yet complete, but intriguing discoveries have been made. Virus mutations first detected in Sierra Leone were ...
Genetic tests in an app: Apple to enter into DNA collection business
Apple is collaborating with U.S. researchers to launch apps that would offer some iPhone owners the chance to get their ...
New blood test is breakthrough in ovarian cancer screening
A new blood test for ovarian cancer has been found to detect twice as many cases as conventional methods, and ...
Maple syrup may be newest ally in fight against antibiotic resistance
Maple syrup may help fight disease-causing bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains that often grow in healthcare settings, says a study published ...
