Genetic Literacy Project
Troublesome genetics and race
When some of us left Africa to spread all over the wider world, we began developing small differences in what ...
Scientists add new letters to genetic alphabet: What does it mean?
A 15-year effort has yielded a bacterium that can use two 'alien' base pairs in its genetic code, expanding the ...
On penises and vaginas: Why maleness always wins the headlines
Biology's sexism isn't overt, but researchers and media can't help but propagate the war of the sexes and the importance ...
Culture wars threaten synthetic biology’s future: Debate on open source versus closed door
Synbio will soon be weathering legal and ethical challenges as its advances enter people's everyday lives. In order to mature, ...
Breeding heat-resistant livestock for a post-warming world: A worthy endeavor?
Evan Halper at the LA Times chronicles efforts to breed livestock that can endure a warming world ... but should ...
Union of Concerned Scientists blames GMOs for ‘superweeds’ but issue more complex
Genetically modified crops have been blamed for the superweeds problem, but in truth, the use of herbicides in monocultural practices ...
Mass General pediatrics chief says glyphosate, used with some GM crops, no danger in breast milk
Contributor Dr. Ron Kleinman, physician in chief from MassGeneral Hospital for Children, opines on the safety of Glyphosate in human ...
Genetically modified pig lungs or lab-grown lungs: Which is the future of our organ supply?
Biotech pioneer J. Craig Venter has aligned his company with efforts to create genetically modified lungs in pigs for human ...
Procrastination? Impulsivity? Either way, is it in your genes?
Classic twin-study method used to try and explain procrastination and it's heritability. But what is procrastination? Is it impulsivity? Either ...
Stem cells can cure severe heart disease? Study suggests early reports may be oversold
A slew of positive reports showing that stem cells could be used to address severe heart disease are in question ...
Sleeping sickness treatment in focus after sequencing of tsetse fly genome
Scientists have sequenced the tsetse fly's genome, Jennifer Frazer at National Geographic reports, revealing promising targets in the fight against ...
Scientists create embryonic stem cell lines using adult cells, but pro-lifers still critical
Two new studies report the successful creation of embryonic stem cells using a human egg and a patient's DNA. The ...
No science-based reason to justify mandatory GMO labeling, study concludes
Analysis of the scientific, legal and economic ramifications of mandatory GMO labeling by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology ...
Mother’s diet during conception may lead to epigenetic consequences and disease
A study following mothers in rural Gambia, where the rainy and dry season make for major seasonal changes in diet ...
GINA’s sixth birthday: Does legislation protecting our genetic information mean anything?
The Genetic Nondiscrimination Act nominally protects against nefarious use of genetic information by employers and health insurance companies, but it ...
Artists and biologists team up to push boundaries of synthetic biology
The Synthetic Aesthetics project argues that synthetic biology needs a healthy dose of novelty and imagination. To this end, the ...
Privacy for our electronic genomes: Who’s responsible? What’s at stake?
The level of security and anonymity provided to genetic information depends on the research project, direct to consumer company or ...
Is glyphosate, used with some GM crops, dangerously toxic to humans?
Glyphosate has been characterized by independent science and regulatory agencies to be relatively safe, but anti-GMO groups use uncritically publicized ...
‘Electronic genomes’ vulnerable to attack
In a digital world, even our most sensitive information is vulnerable to hacking. In the case of DNA, people can ...
Citizens for Health lobbies for suspect alternative meds, supplements (free love?)
Do you believe in magic? Most scientists now believe that most supplements, mega-vitamins and homeopathy therapies are junk science or ...
The X-Files: Looks like men aren’t on their way to extinction after all
The Y chromosome doesn’t get this benefit because it’s alone, and has nothing to swap with. It builds up harmful ...
Building a genomic encyclopedia of life
A genomic tree-of-life is the taxonomist's dream: a perfectly organized, annotated database of every species on earth, its genetics, and ...
Neanderthal epigenetics probably not a great target for autism research
Sensationalized headline used keywords of autism and Neanderthal to oversell an important story about differences in epigenetic regulation between humans ...
Will European opposition to GM foods slow biomedical advances?
Genetically modified bacteria might be able to relieve celiac sufferers from inflammatory symptoms but researchers worry that tight restrictions promoted ...
Old blood, new science: 115-year-old woman’s blood suggests lifespan depends on stem cells
The blood of one of the oldest women to have lived -- and quite possibly the oldest to ever donate ...
Surrogacy without infertility: Is career reason enough?
Although still rare, rich women are choosing to use surrogates during pregnancy for social reasons without medical necessity ...
DNA “cloaking devices” sneak past the immune system, could deliver medicine and identify disease
The mammalian immune system remained an obstacle to deploying DNA nanorobots that could carry medicines through your bloodstream and to ...
SAT revamp stirs IQ and genes debate, roiling egalitarian sensibilities
Are their differences among the sexes and races in IQ? Revamp of SAT test brings nature-nurture debate about human intelligence ...
