Science Controversies
Kenya approves field trials for disease-resistant GMO bananas
The National Biosafety Authority has approved field tests for genetically modified bananas, moving the country closer to accepting growing and ...
Questioning the promise of anonymity for DNA donors
Thousands of human genomes have been collected by research institutions around the world in recent years, as they attempt to find ...
GMO nitrogen-fixing microbes could one day help plants fertilize themselves
Peanuts, peas, and many types of beans are climate-friendly because they basically make their own fertilizer. They play host to ...
CRISPR may allow us to choose the color of butterfly wings
Only nature can paint the gorgeous colors and patterns on a butterfly’s wings. But scientists said... they have mastered the ...
Targeting weeds at the genetic level aids battle against herbicide resistance
Understanding how weeds evolve to become invasive and herbicide-resistant at the genetic level can help scientists design better weed controls ...
Ugandan journalist: How do you report on crop biotechnology when critics spread misinformation?
Genetic engineering could help Uganda combat some of its toughest food security challenges. But anti-GMO activists' misinformation campaigns are standing ...
Modified herpes virus boosts immunotherapy treatment for melanoma
In a two-year UCLA-led study, nearly two-thirds of people with advanced melanoma responded positively to a treatment that combines the ...
Transhumanism and inequality: Enhancing human life could bring dystopian consequences
Transhumanism may offer a pathway to an 'engineered paradise,' but there are many perils and pitfalls ahead -- particularly for ...
Armor of tomorrow could be derived from these 3 animals
Scientists are investigating what makes conch shells and fish scales so tough and designing their own versions. They’re even turning to materials ...
How biotechnology can help India’s small farmers meet ‘zero hunger challenge’
Biotechnology covers a range of low (biofertilizers and microbiology) to high-end technologies (genetic engineering, gene editing etc). However, when we ...
Viewpoint: Meatless meat could be next environment-saving breakthrough
[Editor's note: Dan Blaustein-Rejto is a food and agriculture analyst at the Breakthrough Institute. He holds a Master’s in public policy from ...
Why New Guinea islanders are among the most genetically diverse people in the world
If you travel the meandering Sepik River of New Guinea, it quickly becomes apparent that from one bend to the ...
Is scientific neutrality being lost to commercialism?
In the past few decades, the life sciences have been transformed into gigantic bio-technosciences, blurring the boundaries between science and ...
CRISPR opens window into early stages of human embryo development
Work in the UK involving CRISPR and human embryos illustrates the value of the gene editing technique in basic research ...
Studying root traits could aid development of hardier crops
If you want a better corn crop, you need to get to the root of the matter. So says Duke ...
As Nigeria assures no GMO corn imported, environment minister embraces biotech
The [Nigerian] government, while placing alert on importation of unauthorized maize, made it clear that no genetically modified maize had ...
Syngenta CEO: Sustainability—not whether something is ‘organic’—should be food standard
[Syngenta chief executive Eryk Fyrwald] suggested neonicotinoid pesticides were not as dangerous as was being suggested. While France has confirmed ...
Fiasco envelops Boulder County GMO-free farming plans, Rodale Institute deal
Shortly after the Boulder County Commissioners voted to ban GMO crops from Boulder County Open Space (in March 2016), it ...
GMOs protect bees by reducing use of more toxic pesticides
[Editor’s note: Michelle Miller is the Farm Babe, an Iowa-based farmer, public speaker and writer, who lives and works with ...
Viewpoint: Green groups reject agricultural technology in embrace of ‘utopian fantasies’
[Editor’s note: Ted Nordhaus is the co-founder and executive director of the Breakthrough Institute and a co-author of the Ecomodernist ...
Multiple sclerosis added to list of diseases exacerbated by gut microbes
The trillions of bacteria that live in our intestines, known collectively as the gut microbiome, have been linked to maladies ...
Simulated ‘cellular suicide’ could help control chronic inflammation
Inflammation, in particular, is vital to fighting infection or healing wounds. If it lingers, however, it can cause more harm ...
7 meat alternatives that could reduce strain of feeding a growing population
Livestock production is a major contributor to climate change, especially in wealthier countries like the U.S., and won’t be able ...
Talking Biotech: Kevin Folta on fruit breeding—and being the target of anti-GMO activists
University of Florida's Kevin Folta on fruit breeding and defending modern agriculture--and himself--against anti-technology activists ...
Fluorescent non-GMO cotton study in doubt after one day, and ‘glowing’ media headlines
Science has issued an expression of concern for a widely covered materials science paper published on Friday, citing issues with ...
Genetic testing pitfall: Major genetic company missed 50,000 cancer screenings
As fun as it is to find out where your great-great-great grandparents came from, the real promise of genetic testing ...
Left and right share anti-science instincts, rooted in fears of ideological misuse
Anti-science views have been increasingly embraced by political factions, left and right. Both harbor deep suspicions of government, industry and ...
