Science Controversies
CRISPR gene editing commercialization divides former colleagues
The money men have moved in on a new technique for editing the human genome that promises to revolutionise the ...
No science-based reason to justify mandatory GMO labeling, study concludes
Analysis of the scientific, legal and economic ramifications of mandatory GMO labeling by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology ...
Scientists create embryonic stem cell lines using adult cells, but pro-lifers still critical
Two new studies report the successful creation of embryonic stem cells using a human egg and a patient's DNA. The ...
Bacteria poised to acquire antibiotic resistance genes at quickening pace
The post-antibiotic era is near, according to a report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO). The decreasing effectiveness ...
Humans overlook bacteria in genomic research
Decades after the genomics revolution, half of known eukaryote lineages still remain unstudied at the genomic level--with the field displaying ...
Why no treatment for mutation that causes alcohol-digesting enzyme deficiency in Asian populations?
Between the two of us, my roommate and I have the, uhh, digestive problems that are more common in people ...
GMO growers and organic farmers can coexist in Australia
Coexistence between organic farmers and those that grow genetically modified crops is a big challenge but it is possible in ...
GMKnow responds to mutagenesis challenge, claiming process is ‘natural’
The proudly anti-GMO group, GMKnow, responded to the question I posed to them two days ago. I asked them why mutagenetic ...
GINA’s sixth birthday: Does legislation protecting our genetic information mean anything?
The Genetic Nondiscrimination Act nominally protects against nefarious use of genetic information by employers and health insurance companies, but it ...
New media group Vox stands up to GMO ‘test’
Vox.com is a new news site that aims to do things a bit differently. Led by Ezra Klein, formerly of ...
Anti-GMO consumer claims there’s ‘no watchdog’ over GMOs, advocates for labeling
When you cross a horse with a donkey, the offspring is neither a horse or a donkey. The resultant hybrid ...
Philippines-based activist group urges Asian governments to halt field trials of Golden Rice
A Philippines-based farmer-scientist group, MASIPAG, along with its regional network, has called on governments to immediately halt all planned field ...
Vermont senator describes consumers as ‘guinea pigs’ when ramifications of GMOs are not well-understood
Vermont is poised to become the first state to require the labeling of genetically modified organisms in food products. We speak ...
Artists and biologists team up to push boundaries of synthetic biology
The Synthetic Aesthetics project argues that synthetic biology needs a healthy dose of novelty and imagination. To this end, the ...
Dating the origin of our genes
Each of us carries just over 20,000 genes that encode everything from the keratin in our hair down to the ...
Adult stem cells made into insulin producing cells
For the second time in recent weeks researchers said they used cloning technology on adult tissue, rather than from a ...
Open-source Personal Genome Project looks at all aspects of human experience
Abigail Wark wants to see your areolas. But only if you are a participant in the Personal Genome Project, a ...
When GMO critics use scare tactics, ask what they’re selling
Nutrition is a wonderful playground for people who want to manipulate fear. We need food to live, yet can be ...
Organic label creates brand perceptions of “healthier” and “safer,” even when untrue
There are many public debates raging that are essentially dueling narratives, both sides claiming to have science, evidence, and logic ...
Activists made genetic modification a bogeyman with no scientific validity
Millions know him simply as “Dr. Joe,” the McGill University chemistry professor who has spent the last 30 years popularizing ...
Patchwork of GMO labeling laws like Vermont’s would force food manufacturers to label all products
Look under the hood of every movement to forestall the use of genetically-modified grains and you’ll find a preponderance of ...
Vermont’s GMO labeling law could face legal challenges on three grounds
Expect two things to happen now that Vermont’s legislature has passed H.112. Any day now, Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) is expected ...
Privacy for our electronic genomes: Who’s responsible? What’s at stake?
The level of security and anonymity provided to genetic information depends on the research project, direct to consumer company or ...
Would making genetic resources “open source” reduce GMO controversy?
The creation of free software 30 years ago has had a profound effect on computing, and helped fuel the rise of the ...
Is glyphosate, used with some GM crops, dangerously toxic to humans?
Glyphosate has been characterized by independent science and regulatory agencies to be relatively safe, but anti-GMO groups use uncritically publicized ...
Guardian’s John Vidal attacks Gates Foundation for links to Monsanto and Cargill (on site funded by Gates Foundation)
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is sponsoring the Guardian's Global development site is being heavily criticised in Africa and the ...
GMO fervor spills into Hawaii’s elections, fuels campaign donations
The fervor surrounding genetically engineered crops in Hawaii is expected to spill into this year's elections, as a number of ...
