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.
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 ...
Sequestration hits front-line genetics research
The following is an edited excerpt. Of all the blinkered buzz-saw cuts in this year’s $85 billion spending sequestration, perhaps ...
Why your DNA is a gold mine for marketers
The following is an excerpt. David Pike prefers hiking holidays over seaside lounging, and personalized ads over random promotions. “Show ...
What the new ACMG guidelines really mean
Do patients have a right to not know what's written in their genes? The DNA Exchange explains doctors' new genetic ...
You are what you eat: Diet tied to changes in gene expression and health
The following is an edited excerpt. A small slice of that chocolate cake couldn't hurt, could it? Apparently, it can ...
Researchers develop universal flu vaccine
The following is an edited excerpt. Annual flu vaccines are designed to build immunity to the three most common strains ...
Laser zaps away cocaine addiction in genetically engineered rats
The following is an edited excerpt. Aiming laser light at the portion of the brain associated with impulse control could ...
Detecting genetic disorders in the unborn
The following is an edited excerpt. It is now possible to sequence the entire genome of an unborn baby with ...
Experts discourage ban on genetic engineering
The following is an excerpt. As genetic technology develops, the ability to change the genes of a fetus has moved ...
Hate the gym? Blame your genes
The following is an edited excerpt. According to scientists, the physical effects of exercising such as panting, sweating, pain can ...
Men’s sex chromosome is “doomed”
The following is an excerpt. The poorly designed Y chromosome, which makes men is degrading rapidly and will disappear, even ...
Gene therapy for sensory disorders
The following is an excerpt. Sensory disorders can have a profound effect on health and quality of life—but gene therapy ...
Genetics influences depression medication’s efficacy
The following is an excerpt. Unfortunately, antidepressant drugtherapy does not work for everyone. But new research finds that improved identification of genomic predicators ...
New gene therapy births “designer baby” fears
The following is an excerpt. London, UK - Fertility regulators in the UK have paved the way for the introduction of ...
Who decides what patients need to know?
The following is an excerpt. The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) released a report on "incidental findings" in genetic ...
Acid reflux? It’s in the genes
The following is an excerpt. For many years it has been thought that acid reflux and a related condition called ...
What makes smart people do dumb things
Our usual measures of intelligence – particularly IQ – have very little to do with irrational, illogical behaviors. You really ...
A new way to create synthetic polymers using genetic coding in DNA
The following is an excerpt. Scientists may soon be able to turn to one of the most powerful forces in ...
Why we’re having less sex with our genetic relatives
The following is an excerpt. Sir Thomas Beecham – always good for a quotation – once said that “everyone should ...
Sequencing finds antibiotic resistance in bacteria moving from livestock to humans
Scientists use genetics to uncover the "smoking gun" in the crossing-over of antibiotic resistance from livestock to human ...
New stem cell ‘food’ pioneered
The following is an edited excerpt. Revolutionary as they may be, stem cells cannot escape the need for food. And ...
DNA study links indigenous Brazilians to Polynesians
The following is an excerpt. Indigenous people that lived in southeastern Brazil in the late 1800s shared some genetic sequences ...
Tweets, words share similar genetic makeup
The following is an excerpt. Scientists recently announced new findings regarding bird songs and what makes them possible in terms ...
‘Novel, effective’ brain cancer treatment using genetic material
The following is an excerpt. In a first-of-its-kind experiment using microvesicles generated from mesenchymal bone marrow cells (MSCs) to treat ...
Mosquito genetic complexity may take a bite out of efforts to control malaria
The following is an excerpt. A surprising research discovery in mosquitoes could affect future prospects for malaria control. A team ...
