Science Controversies
Viewpoint: Anti-GMO movement—and label demands—lose steam under Republican administration
The new administration has chosen to follow the analysis of the National Academy of Sciences, which found no material or ...
Marijuana legalization has spurred ‘space race’ to exploit medicinal and recreational benefits of cannabis
The federal government's restrictions on cannabis have hindered American scientists from studying it in depth. However states that legalized weed ...
Obsessive-compulsive disorder in dogs: What can we learn about ourselves?
Canine compulsive disorder, like the version that afflicts humans, can take over the animal's eating, sleeping and basic functions. In ...
What can ‘selfish genes’ found in kombucha tea tell us about how humanity has evolved?
For all of kombucha’s peace and love image, research at the Stowers Institute in Kansas City shows some rather sinister ...
What’s behind EU’s skepticism of Bayer-Monsanto merger?
[Bayer’s acquisition of Monsanto] may not go through. Multiple media outlets have reported that European Union regulators are skeptical of ...
Viewpoint: Federal GMO label must be ‘neutral and not misleading’
[Editor’s Note: Greg Jaffe is the Biotechnology Director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.] On July 29, 2016, ...
Could astronaut urine be the key to safer space travel?
Yeast strains of Yarrowia lipolytica that naturally like to feed on urine have been bioengineered to produce omega-3 fatty acids, which are ...
Judge ponders removal of lawyers behind glyphosate class action suit for possible illegal media release of classified documents
A federal judge [heard] arguments [on August 24] at a federal court in San Francisco over whether the lead attorneys ...
Genetic Literacy Project’s Top 6 Stories for the Week – August 28, 2017
Could a Planet of the (Talking) Apes ever really evolve? | Ricki Lewis Viewpoint: Democrats’ GMO labeling push is an embarrassment ...
How technology can reduce pesticide drift
Though neither the EPA nor various state agencies could provide reliable statistics on the total number of [pesticide] drift incidents, ...
Selective breeding for shorter plant stems contributed to ‘Green Revolution’ yield gains
Untangling the genetics that control and regulate the yield of a crop is a complicated, but potentially rewarding puzzle. High-yielding ...
CRISPR could efficiently improve difficult-to-breed oilseed crops, study shows
CRISPR/Cas9 is a valuable tool for both basic and applied research that has been widely applied to different plant species ...
Billionaire Randal Kirk behind GMO salmon, apples and mosquitoes
The world’s first genetically modified fish farm is a subsidiary of Intrexon, a $2.2bn company headed by Randal Kirk, a ...
Unraveling the paradox: Why GMO drugs and GMO foods are treated differently by critics
Many of the people who express outrage over genetic modification of crops because it 'tinkers with nature' are supportive of ...
Why we need peaceful co-existence between GMOs and organics
Could organic and GM farming step past the rhetoric and vitriol, and co-exist? The science says yes ...
CRISPR co-creator: We should have freedom to choose our ‘genetic destiny’
[Editor's Note: Jennifer Doudna is a professor of chemistry and molecular and cell biology at the University of California Berkeley ...
Hate hitting the gym? Your ‘laziness’ might just be genetic
For some, the hardest part of hitting the gym is lacing up their shoes. But for others, it’s the actual ...
What sets humans, chimpanzees apart? Genetic markers could offer answers
What makes humans different from chimpanzees? Evolutionary biologists from Howard University and the Yale School of Public Health have developed ...
Can we stop drug addiction with vaccines?
Between 2000 and 2015 half a million people in America alone died of drug overdoses...On August 8th Tom Price, the ...
Animal geneticist Alison Van Eenennaam: Agriculture supporters need to stand up to GMO fearmongering
Alison Van Eenennaam, an animal geneticist at the University of California-Davis, told the Idaho Milk Processors Association annual conference there ...
Human gene-editing debate: ‘We all need to educate ourselves’
[Editor's note: Charles Sackerson is a biology lecturer at California State University Channel Islands.] In 1973, biotechnologist Herbert Boyer and ...
Can GMO crops help Australian farmers cope with climate change?
Queensland farmers could use genetically-modified plants to tackle the threat of climate change. Environment Minister Steven Miles said farmers would ...
Infographic: Why single out GMOs—one of many forms of crop modification—for labeling?
[Editor's note: Layla Katiraee is a scientist at Integrated DNA Technologies. She has a PhD in molecular genetics with a ...
Heart attack vaccine? Innovative injection could prevent cholesterol buildup
Heart disease is the leading cause of death of men and women in the US. Over half a million Americans die from ...
Driving evolution: Sequencing of ocean microbiome shows nutrient limitation plays key role
Microbes dominate the planet, especially the ocean, and help support the entire marine food web. In a recent report published ...
Do we need mandatory genetic screening of sperm donors?
The multibillion-dollar sperm donation business has shockingly little oversight, leading to false promises of anonymity, insufficient medical testing and high ...
Women with breast, ovarian cancer are rarely tested for BRCA mutations
A new study conducted by the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, states that among nearly 4 million women in ...
