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.
Engineered extremophile brews bulk chemical
The following is an excerpt. US researchers have engineered a heat-loving microbe to produce a bulk chemical from carbon dioxide and ...
ACMG releases statement on noninvasive prenatal screening
The following is an excerpt. In recent decades there have been many changes and improvements in prenatal genetic screening and ...
5 ways biotech is changing our pets and wildlife
The following is an edited excerpt. Ever since humans first tamed a friendly wolf, we've been shaping animals to conform ...
Stem cells boom in vet clinics
The following is an excerpt. Patients seeking unproven stem-cell therapies in the United States often run up against government restrictions ...
New obesity, height genes found
The following is an excerpt. Busselton residents and researchers from The University of Western Australia have helped a worldwide scientific ...
DNA data war reaches Supreme Court
The following is an excerpt. About 9 months ago – the DNA Spit Kit from 23andMe was $299. From their website today – ...
Childhood obesity is a product of environment, not genetics
The following is an excerpt. New evidence is confirming that the environment kids live in has a greater impact than ...
Genetics at the borders of mental illness
The following is an excerpt. A growing body of evidence suggests that this divide is both unhelpful and misleading because ...
Childhood obesity ‘linked to genetic mutations’
The following is an excerpt. The rise in the number of overweight children may be as much to do with ...
Couch potatoes are genetically lazy
The following is an excerpt. Certain genetic traits may predispose people to being more or less motivated to exercise and ...
Reports of junk DNA’s ‘demise’ were based on junky logic and dubious definitions
The following is an excerpt. Magnificent organisms capable of composing symphonies, calculating quantum energy levels and dunking basketballs are built ...
Genetic ancestry testing is not ‘astrology’
In calling DNA-based ancestry tests 'astrology,' geneticist Mark Thomas wrongfully overlooks legitimate, peer-reviewed research ...
Genetic engineering joins the fight to save wildlife
Conservation workers will this week seek help from an unlikely set of allies. They will ask researchers working on synthetic ...
Modern genetics reshapes the tree of life
The following is an excerpt. Charles Darwin's "tree of life", which shows how species are related through evolutionary history, is ...
Researchers use single-cell genome sequencing to analyze hospital biofilm microbe
The following is an excerpt. A team of researchers led by scientists from the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) has ...
10 unusual genetic mutations in humans
The following is an excerpt. No two people are alike, due to the subtly different ways our genomes are expressed ...
Students explore their genetic futures in college course
The following is an excerpt. A controversial School of Medicine course has given hundreds of students the opportunity to learn ...
Genetic mutations linked to childhood obesity
The following is an excerpt. The rise in the number of overweight children in Britain may be as much to ...
Der Spiegel profiles leading stem cell scientist Robert Lanza
The following is an excerpt. Ethical worries have slowed medical research into applications for stem cells. But scientists like Robert ...
Editorial: Stem cell agency finally addresses potential for conflicts
The following is an excerpt. Politics is the art of the possible. Jonathan Thomas, who chairs the oversight committee for California's stem ...
A developing world strategy for personalized medicine
The following is an excerpt. Because of its technology intensive platform, personalized medicine is seen as solely benefiting the populations ...
Sleep, the other gene therapy
The following is an excerpt. We've mentioned before that lack of sleep increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, ...
Myriad Genetics patent would harm society
The following is an excerpt. Myriad argues that they should be allowed to patent the gene because they were the ...
Revolutionizing the “Out of Africa” story
The following is an excerpt. The discovery of the structure of DNA and the subsequent developments in genetics and genomics have had a great impact on ...
Gene pool rules: The ethics of human evolutionary engineering
The following is an excerpt. For thousands of years, humans have used genetic engineering to control the evolution of plants ...
Tough calls on prenatal tests
The following is an excerpt. New prenatal blood tests for genetic abnormalities such as Down syndrome are reshaping care for ...
Brain-building gene plays key role in gut repair
The following is an excerpt. A gene with a colorful name – mindbomb 1 – plays a key role far ...
