Science Literacy Project Daily Digest
Selected books on genetics
The following is an editorial summary. Featured books in this review article include: “Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature ...
GMO Free Connecticut spouts myths and misinformation at library talk
The following is an excerpt. Tara Cook-Littman and Christine O’Day of GMO Free Connecticut gave a presentation titled “Genetically Modified Organisms: Are ...
The future of gene patenting
Are human genes patentable? The question is becoming less relevant as biotech patents move more toward completely synthetic genes and ...
Will synthetic biology benefit or threaten wild things?
The following is an excerpt. Will synthetic biology help or hinder conservation efforts? This was the question asked at a ...
GMO labeling forces look for a win after two defeats
The following is an excerpt. With the defeat of California’s Proposition 37 last November and the recent signing of House ...
Rare mutation could lead to the next blockbuster cholesterol drug
Mutations in a gene called PCSK9 give African Americans extremely low ‘bad cholesterol’ and a 90 percent reduced risk of ...
Argentina accelerates approval process for biotech crops
The following is an excerpt. It took 20 years for Argentina to approve commercial planting of 13 biotech crops, and 15 more ...
Video: Synthetic biology explained
The following is an excerpt. What do you know about synthetic biology? In this video by TechNyou, you'll learn all about how syntehtic ...
GMO labeling forces look for a win after two defeats
The following is an excerpt. With the defeat of California’s Proposition 37 last November and the recent signing of House ...
Don’t forget parents share genes with their offspring
The following is an excerpt. In 2002 I read The Blank Slate. With all due respect to Steven Pinker one of ...
‘Smart’ stem cells help heart failure patients
The following is an excerpt. Treating heart failure patients with a special type of stem cell can improve their condition, ...
Genetic fatalism in mental disorders
The following is an excerpt. In the spirit of keeping the conversation on mental health going, I would like to ...
No need for genetic testing for most thyroid cancers
The following is an excerpt. In the majority of patients with papillary thyroid cancer, the most common form of thyroid ...
Study identifies four new genetic markers for severe childhood obesity
The following is an excerpt. Unhealthy food environments and sedentary lifestyles certainly contribute to obesity, but they can’t entirely explain ...
Disease-resistant tomatoes fight lethal pests
The following is an excerpt. In the battle against thrips, Cornell breeder Martha Mutschler-Chu has developed a new weapon: a ...
Genetic master controls expose cancers’ Achilles’ heel
The following is an excerpt. In a surprising finding that helps explain fundamental behaviors of normal and diseased cells, Whitehead ...
GM maize move leaves UK ‘cold’
The following is an excerpt. The annoucement that Italy intends to ban the cultivation of GM grown maize following a ...
IVF pioneer Robert Edwards dies at age 87
Robert Edwards, whose pioneering in vitro fertilization research led to the first test tube baby and has since brought millions ...
Protests across Ontario against genetically-modified alfalfa
The following is an excerpt. Farmers and concerned residents took to the streets in a number of Ontario municipalities, as ...
Economic recession can effect your genes
New insights into how genes are triggered in times of stress suggest that we should be paying attention to the ...
Do we need synthetic fertilizers?
The following is an excerpt. According to organic advocates Tom Philpott and Barry Estabrook, we don’t need synthetic fertilizers at all. Both argue ...
Turtle can freeze solid and survive, and we have those same genes
The following is an excerpt. Look beyond the western painted turtle's colorful stripes and you’ll find an animal that seems ...
Electronic health records aren’t ready for genomics-driven healthcare
The following is an excerpt. Current electronic health record (EHR) systems are not designed to work with genomic data, but ...
Tamiflu-resistance gene in bird flu spurs drug tests
The following is an excerpt. A gene mutation known to help influenza resist Tamiflu was found in the first of ...
Gene linked to higher Alzheimer’s risk in blacks
The following is an excerpt. A new gene mutation has been identified that nearly doubles African Americans' risk for getting ...
New separation process advances stem cell therapies
The following is an excerpt. A new separation process that depends on an easily-distinguished physical difference in adhesive forces among ...
Ignore hysteria over new ‘Monsanto’ bill
The following is an excerpt. If you have read anything about the “Monsanto Protection Act,” chances are what you have ...
