Genetic Literacy Project
Jewish researcher attacks DNA evidence linking Jews to Israel
Geneticist Eran Elhaik claims most Jews can trace their ancestry to the Caucusus and Eastern Europe, despite overwhelming evidence of ...
Peru crop biotech ban highlights botched debate over biodiversity
Global demand for food is expected to increase by 70 percent in the next 40 years. What role could or ...
What role will genetics play in a biology-based approach to psychiatry?
Calls for a biology-based psychiatry are growing louder, but how will genetics fit into this puzzle? ...
Bad brains: Did my DNA make me do it?
Are perpetrators of violence suffering from a medical condition that demands a public health reaction that might radically alter the ...
Walking the ethical edge: ‘Made-to-order’ embryos address genuine needs
Ethical watchdogs are stifling a much-needed discussion of the actual costs and benefits of a for-profit embryo donations. Despite the ...
Navigating the agricultural biotech minefield: When an MIT study is not an MIT study
Thanks to a credulous Reuters report, a shoddy piece of pseudoscience is making the rounds as “an MIT study” linking ...
Media mangles latest biotech innovation—hornless cows
Despite exaggerated claims from various media outlets over the weekend, the innovations that led to the hornless dairy cow are ...
AMP v. Myriad Genetics: Do intellectual property protections really stifle innovation?
As the Supreme Court debates the patentability of human genes, the media argues about whether patents help or hinder genetic ...
Greener than green: Biotech and the future of agriculture (Part II)
Has the promise of the agricultural biotech revolution been oversold? Why are so many otherwise progressive thinkers so resistant to ...
DNA and the criminal justice system
Should police automatically collect DNA samples from crime suspects who have been arrested, but not convicted? Supporters say the measure ...
Greener than green: Biotech and the future of agriculture (Part I)
Here in the first of a two part series presented exclusively at the Genetic Literacy Project, Ramez Naam -- a ...
Genetics versus new bird flu: The race is on
Scientists and researchers around the world are turning to new genetic techniques to race the outbreak of the new H5N7 ...
Pig born using new GM technique
A new "gene-editing" tool has allowed scientists to create a disease-resistant pig. Can the new technique help to overcome the ...
Has the pace of genetics research rendered the Myriad case obsolete?
Both sides in the Myriad genetics case seem to think the future of innovation is at stake, but a few ...
Happy birthday, Human Genome
In the 10 years since the completion of the Human Genome Project, genetic science has moved forward in leaps and ...
Lab-grown kidneys work in rats, offer hope for human transplants
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital report a medical first: lab-grown kidneys successfully transplanted into rats, where they functioned properly -- ...
On GMOs, New York Times foodie Mark Bittman is a dark cloud in the brightening sky of reason
It’s challenging to name a more influential food writer than The New York Times’ Mark Bittman—nor one less informed and ...
Genetic expression in the human brain: The challenge of large numbers
Obama’s recently announced effort to map the human brain and the parallel European efforts (the Human Brain Project), are taking ...
Can Syngenta help make open-source GMOs a reality?
In a new initiative, Syngenta will make its genetic engineering tools and GM plant varieties freely available for non-profit researchers ...
Are we on the cusp of a bio-industrial revolution?
Imagine a biosynthetic hardware store, where researchers can cherry-pick exactly the correct parts to build whatever they’d like. Just as ...
Your DNA in death: Reflections on the Henrietta Lacks bioethics controversy
We are in the early stages a personalized medicine revolution, but progress comes with growing pains -- in this case, ...
Monsanto Protection Act? Separating the facts from the fury
The so-called "Monsanto Protection Act" is hardly the “most dangerous food act ever” or a “terrifying piece of policy," as ...
Monsanto v. Monarch butterflies
Monarch butterflies have been on a downward spiral for decades, and the most recent news stories report that monarch numbers ...
De-extinction: Looking past the awe
De-extinction -- the revival of extinct species through biotechnology -- is an intoxicating idea. Who doesn't want the chance to ...
Neo-Eugenics: An evolutionary argument against mitochondrial replacement therapy
A new form of genetic therapy is not only unethical, but also impossible because of the mess that evolution has ...
Frankenstein’s Cat: How animal biotechnology informs us about our humanity
Science writer Emily Anthes' new book, Frankenstein’s Cat: Cuddling Up to Biotech’s Brave New Beasts provides an animated review of ...
Nitrogen-efficient crops: The holy grail of agricultural biotech?
Nitrogen fertilizers cost a tremendous amount of money, damage the environment, and drain the planet's resources -- and only about ...
Whole Foods, GMO labeling, and the illusion of transparency
Despite the claims of Whole Foods' CEO John Mackey, the store's new GMO labeling policy is likely to achieve exactly ...
