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.
New genetic risk factor for inflammation identified in African American women
African Americans have higher blood levels of a protein associated with increased heart-disease risk than European Americans, despite higher “good” ...
Worrying about eugenics in California: Is it a legacy of the past or the future? Public event brings scientists and ethicists together to discuss the possibility of eugenics in California
For much of the 20th century, California was at the forefront of eugenic ideology and practices in the United States, ...
As genes learn tricks, animal lifestyles evolve
To understand how snakes evolved their infrared detection systems, a group of scientists led by Prof. David Julius at the ...
Synthetic ‘upgrade’ for fruit fly’s DNA
The genetic code of the fruit fly Drosophila has been hacked into, allowing it to make proteins with properties that ...
Genetically engineering ‘ethical’ babies is a moral obligation, says Oxford professor
Professor Julian Savulescu said that creating so-called designer babies could be considered a "moral obligation" as it makes them grow ...
Not all genes are created the same
The map to the right shows the frequencies of HGDP populations on SLC45A2, which is a locus that has been ...
India: Becoming a powerhouse of innovation for neglected diseases and biotech drugs
The BRIC countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, and China -- are playing an increasingly important role in innovation. Their growing ...
How you vote may be in your genes
Ever wonder why we vote the way we do? Is it the influence of family? Or is it because of ...
Does the State have your child’s DNA?
The Citizens' Council on Health Care released a report in 2009 that raises concerns about the extension of eugenics into ...
Scientists to hunt for lifesaving information buried in cradle-to-grave data collected by doctors and hospitals
A revolution in medical research in Britain is to give academics and the life sciences industry unparalleled access to the ...
Unsung heroes behind those big genomics breakthroughs
Sometimes, when scientific research is done right, it may also be completely invisible to the public, who may never know ...
Multiple sclerosis patients see hope in Ann romney’s fight about MS using biotech drugs
Ann Romney’s poise as she addresses the Republican National Convention gives hope to 2.5 million multiple sclerosis sufferers, while showing ...
Secrets to oldest living family’s longevity: genetics, quality of life and diet play role in Sardinian family’s long life
Researchers searching for clues to the elixir of long-life in these lands have studied these ancient island communities for years ...
Older fathers pass on more new genetic mutations to offspring
Men who become fathers later in life pass on more brand-new genetic mutations to their offspring, a study has found ...
Certain human diseases may have evolutionary epigenetic origins
Ninety-six percent of a chimpanzee's genome is the same as a human's. It's the other 4 percent, and the vast ...
U.S. Appeals Court: Government can fund stem cell research
A three-judge panel at the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia refused to order the Obama ...
Scientists grow lung cells from patients in lab to test drugs
Researchers have produced lung cells in the lab using stem cells grown from the skin of patients with cystic fibrosis ...
Eating disorders ‘may be genetic’
In a new study, researchers have uncovered fresh evidence of a genetic predisposition to eating disorders that is passed on ...
DNA sleuths cure hospital infections
In one of the nation's most sophisticated hospitals, genome sequencing helped cure a deadly infection that spread through the hospital ...
Volumise your face using your own stem cells
In your 20s, you may be crabby about a full, fat face and how it makes you look portly in ...
Blood cells coaxed back into stem cell state
Johns Hopkins scientists have developed a reliable method to restore blood cells into a primitive stem cell state from which ...
A GPS in your DNA
While your DNA is unique, it also tells the tale of your family line. It carries the genetic history of ...
Synthetic future: Harvard Medical School professor leads effort to streamline biological engineering
If the field of synthetic biology lives up to its promise, says Harvard Medical School Professor Pamela Silver, cheap, fast ...
Low oxygen boosts stem cell survival in muscular dystrophy therapy
Controlling the amount of oxygen that stem cells are exposed to can significantly increase the effectiveness of a procedure meant ...
DNA deletions promote cancer, collateral damage makes it vulnerable
Genomic deletions promote cancer by carving up or eliminating tumor-suppressor genes, but now scientists report in the journal Nature that ...
Stem cell trial for Autism launches in U.S.
Families with autistic children must navigate a condition where questions outnumber the answers, and therapies remain sparse and largely ineffective ...
Stem cell therapy for Autism to be tested in first trial
Researchers are recruiting autistic children for a study that will test whether injecting stem cells banked from their umbilical cords ...
