Daily Human Digest
Every day, the staff of the Genetic Literacy Project scours the Web for stories on a range of human genetics issues, including gene editing, regulations and bioethics, gene therapy, epigenetics, personal genomics, evolution, ancestry and artificial intelligence. We publish excerpts of those stories and encourage our readers to visit the original publications for the complete stories.
X-shape not true picture of chromosome structure, new imaging technique reveals
Scientists at the BBSRC-funded Babraham Institute, working with the University of Cambridge and the Weizmann Institute, have produced beautiful 3D ...
Pairing news and education: ‘Where Do Your Genes Come From?’ and ‘DNA Double Take’
A common student misconception about science is that it’s a bunch of facts and equations to be memorized and regurgitated ...
Genetic test could spare thousands from chemotherapy
Doctors could use the test to determine whether or not a patient's cancer is likely to spread to other parts ...
Egg-freezing goes mainstream with better technology
The debate over egg-freezing is heating up as more and more young, healthy women are looking at options that postpone ...
The Compatability Gene: A mixing and matching game of life and death
Dan Davis's The Compatibility Gene tells the story of the discovery of a central component of the immune system, one that ...
The reason some people get cold sores may be genetic
Medical researchers are closer to understanding why some people are more prone to cold sores than others. Although between 80 ...
A dispatch from the genetic frontier
I never thought I had all that much in common with the glamorous film star Angelina Jolie – until May of this ...
Audubon’s warblers may have borrowed DNA from fellow bird species
While most birds either migrate or remain resident in one region, the Audubon’s warbler, with habitat ranging from the Pacific ...
Disease-specific human embryonic stem cell lines placed on NIH Stem Cell Registry
Scientists from King's College London have announced that 16 human embryonic stem (hES) cell lines have been approved by the ...
Gene therapy with a difference
Terri Ellsworth is convinced that her 12-year-old son Billy, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, is being helped by an experimental drug ...
Genetic ‘switch’ for memories
Neurologists believe they are a step closer to being able to erase unshakeable haunting memories. In research sounding like the ...
Having one baby to save another
A couple plan to have specialized IVF so they can have a second baby and use umbilical cord blood to ...
Welsh police take DNA samples from more than 5,500 children
A one-year-old baby is among thousands of children who have had their DNA taken by police officers in Wales. A ...
How does Human saliva compare to a Chimp’s?
Humans (genus Homo) and chimpanzees and bonobos (genus Pan) share roughly 99% of their DNA. But that doesn't necessarily mean we share the same ...
Chronic aggressive behavior in boys: epigenetic sources?
Chronic aggressive behaviour exhibited by some boys from disadvantaged families may be due to epigenetic changes during pregnancy and early ...
Siberian hamsters show what helps make seasonal clocks tick
Many animals, including humans, have internal clocks and calendars to help them regulate behavior, physiological functions and biological processes. Although ...
A clearer picture of the mind in real-time brain imaging
Real time brain scans allowed subjects in a recent study to better control brain activity. Researchers hope this will lead ...
Forensic analyst debunks food claims using DNA
Restaurateurs beware: Chris Weland is not the guy you want to serve a bogus meat dish to if he is ...
Stem cells made with near-perfect efficiency
Researchers have for the first time converted cultured skin cells into stem cells with near-perfect efficiency. By removing a single ...
Genes play meaningful role in sleep quality
Researchers have quantified the contribution genetics makes to sleep quality variation in a twin study of middle-aged men. They found ...
Why we need to think differently about our genomes
If — like most of us — your entire understanding of DNA and genetics can be traced back to CSI reruns, you’re ...
How to use 23andMe without giving up your genetic privacy
If you’re like me, the idea of knowing what’s in your genetic profile is both fascinating and scary. Want to ...
Lifestyle influences metabolism via DNA methylation
In the course of life, aging processes, environmental influences and lifestyle factors such as smoking or diet induce biochemical alterations ...
Poverty can trump a winning hand of genes
For rich kids, IQ is genetic. But for the poor, lucking out--managing to get educational opportunities--matters more than genetics ...
Is creative ability determined by our DNA?
Is creativity something we're born with or something that we learn? New research suggests that a person's creative ability is ...
Warning sounded over three-parent IVF safety
Just three months after the UK started working toward mitochondria replacement therapy to circumvent genetic diseases, researchers are sounding an ...
Giving up the impossible dream of genetic privacy could help everyone
In January, scientists scared the world by using public information to find the names behind five people’s anonymous, public DNA ...
