Science Controversies
Viewpoint: Biohackers are interested in science education, not planning the ‘next global apocalypse’
Some people call me a biohacker. My colleagues like the term because it sounds cool, and journalists like it because ...
Video: How gene drives could use ‘selfish’ genes to eradicate malaria
The invention of the CRISPR gene editing tool has injected new life into a line of research called gene drive ...
Immunotherapy dilemma: When should untested therapies be prescribed for cancer patients?
Immunotherapy is a source of great hope in cancer care. It has rescued some patients from the brink, while giving others a ...
Cancer patient’s ‘spontaneous remission’—not her diet—will be included in Harvard study
Over the past few weeks, multiple media outlets have written about Kathy Bero, a 54-year-old woman who claims her breast cancer 12 years ago ...
Genetically modified mosquitos could eliminate malaria, if we’re willing to take risk
[Kevin] Esvelt is a biologist at MIT and the first person to formulate a technology known as a CRISPR gene ...
‘I’m the golden guinea pig’: New immunotherapy ‘eliminated’ aggressive breast cancer
[S]cientists have reported a new approach that eliminated all evidence of advanced-stage breast cancer in a 49-year-old woman who had ...
In push for access to GMO seeds, Indian farmers turn to social media
At a time when there is a massive controversy over genetically modified crops, a farmers’ organisation in Maharashtra is making ...
Australia’s fight against feral cats could turn to gene drive technology
Feral cats kill thousands of native animals every minute — now a controversial plan to use gene drive technology as ...
Home biohacker: Creating deadly human pathogens ‘is not that easy’
Using the handy tools sent in [the ODIN’s Genetk Design Kit], I was set to re-engineer some nonpathogenic E. coli ...
Preventing Alzheimer’s: Is Lisa Mosconi’s ‘brain food’ diet anything more than pseudoscience?
Lisa Mosconi has a web and media presence and a book Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power ...
Treating alpha thalassemia major with prenatal blood transfusions, bone marrow transplant
In the three months before she was even born, Elianna Constantino received five blood transfusions and a bone-marrow transplant. All ...
The end of Monsanto: Bayer to drop company’s name following takeover
The Monsanto company name, which has become synonymous with genetically modified food and as a longstanding target of environmental activists, ...
Major human CRISPR trial derailed by FDA—at least for now
You’ve heard it before: CRISPR has the potential to change our lives for the better. But first, we have to give it ...
Viewpoint: New GMO labels will make consumer confusion worse, not better
So just how bad are the new federal regulations on labeling genetically engineered food? I don’t think anyone is standing ...
The genetics behind malaria’s evolution into a deadly global killer
The secrets of how malaria became a human-killer have been revealed by a genetic study. The work, led by researchers ...
Viewpoint: USDA’s GMO labeling proposal is ‘the right way to do it’
After two years of waiting, the USDA has finally published its proposed regulations to implement labeling of genetically modified crops ...
Bridging the ‘gulf between patients and researchers’ in cancer treatment
When my cancer support group visited a research lab, the discussion of proteomics, fibroblasts and microRNAs made about as much ...
Ingestible digital pills use bioluminescent bacteria to sense stomach bleeding
Ingestible sensors—pill-sized electronics that ping your smartphone with data after you pop and swallow—have started to arrive on the market. They ...
Food lobby appeals $18 million fine over campaign against GMO labeling in Washington state
The packaged food and drink industry will try to persuade a Washington state appeals court ... that exercising its First ...
Is the nucleolus the key to stopping cellular aging?
Under a microscope, it’s hard to miss. Take just about any cell, find the nucleus, then look inside it for ...
Hemophilia gene therapies put on fast track to FDA approval
The Food and Drug Administration will soon be alerting companies that certain gene therapies in development can qualify for less ...
Meet the doctor leading research on ethically fraught ‘three-parent’ babies
When future historians look back on the 21st century, one of the most iconic photos may be of a smiling, ...
Is a universal flu vaccine ultimately unattainable?
If all goes according to plan, the annual flu shot protects about 60 percent of vaccinated people. This year’s inoculation, of course, ...
How purebred dogs are helping us fight cancer in humans
Roughly a quarter of all purebred dogs die of cancer, and 45 percent of those who live past the age of ...
How ‘technophobia’ helps explain public opposition to GMOs and biotechnology
It is now common sense to argue that the issue lies not in the concept of the technology, but with ...
Could pre-pregnancy genetic screening help with difficult child-bearing decisions?
Pregnancy comes with many unknowns. Perhaps one of the most harrowing is whether a child will be born healthy. Now, ...
Viewpoint: With new IARC director Elisabete Weiderpass, ‘the status quo has won’
With the term of controversial International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Director Christopher Wild thankfully at an end, speculation about ...
