Science Controversies
Viewpoint: We’re letting bureaucracy get in the way of diagnostic innovation
Should we be making it easier for companies to bring new tests to market, rather than having a process that ...
Audio: Filmmaker behind ‘Food Evolution’ says GMO debate illustrates importance of embracing science
Are GMOs safe? What is the deal with organic food? On this week's episode of Serving Up Science, Science Writer ...
Viewpoint: Human germline editing offers ‘bright future’ if done carefully
We are at the point where our technology will soon surpass our humanity. It used to be that what we ...
Immunotherapy more effective in patients with more cancer mutations, study shows
The number of mutations in a tumor’s genome may predict how well a patient will benefit from treatment with immune ...
We could soon have a blood test for Alzheimer’s
Approximately 5.5 million Americans over the age of 65 cope with [Alzheimer’s disease]. Symptoms include behavioral changes, cognitive difficulties, and ...
Senator Chuck Grassley eats GMO corn to show EU that US biotech crop exports are safe
With a new Congress comes new lawmakers and new committee rosters, including new chairmen and ranking members. The Senate Finance ...
Why it was no surprise that controversial CRISPR babies happened in China
The headline-making births last November of the world’s first gene-edited babies (twin girls) was unsurprising in one way: The scientist ...
Gene drive alternative uses CRISPR to control insect populations by creating sterile males
Scientists at the University of California (UC) San Diego and UC Berkeley have developed a new approach to controlling disease-carrying ...
Could Brexit mean CRISPR? EU departure presents the UK with a food policy overhaul opportunity
Brexit could present the UK with a unique opportunity to modernize its food regulations, but it should tread carefully in ...
Chinese scientist behind CRISPR babies committed crimes, will be punished, China says
The scientist responsible for creating the world’s first genetically modified babies violated government bans and committed fraud, according to Chinese ...
International treaty could threaten genetics research on ebola, other infectious diseases
There is something that is weighing heavily on the minds of some infectious diseases scientists these days. ... It’s an ...
‘Family duty’ could explain why so many Chinese couples signed up for controversial ‘CRISPR baby’ experiment
Young adults in China feel a powerful cultural obligation to marry and have kids, but that life plan suddenly looks ...
New therapy could aid battle against drug-resistant bacteria
[T]he first penicillin-resistant pathogen was detected in 1940. Since then, many other antibacterial drugs (both natural and semisynthetic) have been ...
New cousin to deadly Ebola virus discovered in bats in China
The notorious filovirus family — which includes such dangerous actors as the Ebola and Marburg viruses — seems to just keep ...
Can a simple breath test detect cancer?
Researchers want to find out if signals of different cancer types can be picked up in patterns of breath molecules ...
Viewpoint: Food companies should reject Non-GMO Project’s ‘extortion racket’
Pay your protection money! Do the secret handshake and kiss the ring! Otherwise, you can expect to be on the ...
Cancer death rate in the US has dropped 27% over 25 years
The rate of people dying from cancer in the United States seems to have dropped steadily for 25 years, a ...
Americans and Russians share strikingly similar views on GMOs
When faced with something new, Russian lawmakers have generally found it easier to ban it than to debate it....A case ...
Controversial Chinese gene-editing scientist downplays reports suggesting he could face death penalty
The Chinese scientist who shocked the world in November by announcing that twin girls had been born from embryos that he had created ...
After dodging a ban, what’s in store for gene drives in 2019?
With gene drive techniques, we could—perhaps rapidly and inexpensively—wipe out malaria’s hosts for good, and consign it to the list ...
Fears of gene editing in the US could be stoked by Russian disinformation attacks
[There’s a] risk to gene drive research that has flown under the radar. This threat combines legitimate concerns about the ...
Could controversial gene-editing scientist He Jiankui face the death penalty in China?
The Chinese scientist who created the world’s first genetically edited babies is living under armed guard and could face the ...
Could blockchain-based product labels help build consumer trust in our food system?
The labeling of our food is a notoriously murky business. A healthy 82% of Americans say they’ve felt tricked by nutrition labels ...
Unapproved stem cell treatments draw FDA investigation following bacterial infections
This year [2018], 12 people have been hospitalized with bacterial infections after being treated with stem cell products derived from ...
China approves import of 5 GMO crops for animal feed, first since 2017
China has approved the import of five genetically modified crops, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a ...
EU has ‘no plans’ to revise its strict regulations on gene-edited crops, European Commission official says
A European Commission official said [January 7] that Brussels has no plans to “put forward new legislative proposals” on genetically ...
Paper by controversial Australian journalist retracted over ‘image manipulation’
The Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC) has retracted a 2003 paper that resulted from the PhD thesis of Maryanne Demasi, an ...
