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.
The broken promises of the Human Genome Project
The following is an excerpt. Scientists begin with a fixed conclusion, hyperbolize the benefits of reaching it, and then spend ...
Neanderthal cloning: Morally wrong and scientifically challenging
Genetic imprinting limits the scientific value of cloning a Neanderthal ...
What is a Filipino? Looking at DNA for the answers
The following is an excerpt. What's your mix? Remember that infamous advertising campaign a few months ago, which raised the ...
A brave new world of prenatal DNA sequencing
The following is an excerpt. Conventional methods for checking a baby’s genome for abnormalities require invasive procedures, such as using ...
Mining the bacterial genome for novel drugs
The following is an excerpt. Vanderbilt biochemists have discovered that the process bacteria undergo when they become drug resistant can ...
Melanoma genes found in “junk” DNA
The following is an excerpt. US scientists have found two new mutations in non-coding (formerly dubbed "junk") DNA that occur ...
Biotech firms lobby states to limit generic drug competition
Some of the nation’s biggest biotechnology companies are lobbying state-by-state to limit competition from genetic drugs; this could add billions ...
Are you carrying the redhead gene?
The following is an excerpt. Some parents worry that their children will be born with a rare disease or a ...
Ten years after launch of Human Genome Project, the future is here
In April 2003, for the first time, anyone could freely read the fundamental instructions needed to make a human body ...
Kissing swaps genes along with spit
The following is an excerpt. Kissing is a physically affectionate act of pressing the lips against someone or something. The ...
Personalized genomics: Do you want to know what illnesses await you in the future?
The following is an excerpt. Geneticists are predicting that within five years, a single genetics test will show what diseases ...
Bionic eyes may soon be available in the U.S.
For people with retinitis pigmentosa -- a rare genetic disease that damages cells in the back of the eye -- ...
HIV ‘may have an ancient origin’
The following is an excerpt. HIV, which causes AIDs, emerged in humans in the 20th Century, but scientists have long ...
Becoming biohackers: The long arm of the law
Is the rise of amateur gene enthusiasts working in make-shift labs a harmless pursuit or a potential bioterrorism threat? The ...
Controversial bird flu research to resume
The following is an excerpt. Bird flu researchers said Wednesday that they would end a self-imposed moratorium on controversial experiments ...
California stem-cell institute reacts to critical report
The following is an excerpt. California’s $3 billion stem-cell agency plans to make a few changes in response to an ...
Not sleeping well? Your DNA may be partly to blame
The following is an excerpt. By late January many of us residing in northern latitudes aren’t sleeping well, overeat and ...
First genomic explanation for schizophrenia proposed
The following is an excerpt. In a new study, Buffalo University geneticists have demonstrated how defects in an important neurological ...
Neanderthal cloning chatter highlights scientific illiteracy
The following is an excerpt. After spending the weekend reading blog posts claiming that he was seeking an "extremely adventurous ...
Insurers should be free to discriminate based on genetics
The following is an excerpt. A recent NPR story described efforts to extend the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) to long-term care ...
Video: What we’ve learned from the Human Genome Project
Genetic Engineering NewsFeatured Video: What We've Learned from the Human Genome ProjectGenetic Engineering NewsHost Hank Green is a jack of ...
Mutations found in melanomas may shed light on how cancers grow
The following is an excerpt. In a leap forward in understanding the basic science of one of the most lethal ...
Shakespeare and Martin Luther King demonstrate potential of DNA storage
All 154 Shakespeare sonnets have been spelled out in DNA to demonstrate the vast potential of genetic data storageHis words ...
Can carrots reduce the effect of diabetes-causing genes?
The following is an excerpt. In the latest revelation about the human genome, researchers say diabetics with a certain genetic ...
Searching for intelligence in our DNA
The following is an excerpt. Reproductive technologies such as in-vitro fertilization and preimplantation genetic diagnosis mean it is currently possible ...
Neanderthal cloning media blitz was not just a poor translation
The following is an excerpt. George Church hit a nerve when he recently discussed re-creating Neanderthals with an "adventurous human ...
Starchy genes made dog into Man’s best friend
The following is an excerpt. A genetic switch allowed dogs to adapt to a starch-rich diet and evolve from meat-munching ...
