Genetic Literacy Project
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Monsanto v. Monarch butterflies
Monarch butterflies have been on a downward spiral for decades, and the most recent news stories report that monarch numbers ...
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 ...
Twenty-year review: GM crops are safe
A review of two decades of research on transgenic crops has found transgenic crops no less safe than their traditional ...
The genetics of mental illness and the allure of gene-ism
The current reality of mental illness is one of blurred boundaries; new genetic results showing coming ground among several disorders ...
Is there really a science-based GMO controversy? False balance captures Discover magazine
Discover's cover story on the anti-biotech movement gives unwarranted weight to anti-GM activists and in the process raises questions about ...
Should the government loosen ethical oversight of stem cell research?
When it comes to stem cell research, we’ve moved from an era of debating the ethics of a technology in ...
Don’t be afraid of GM salmon
A New York Times opinion piece urges the FDA to approve AquaBounty's GM salmon, for the good of consumers as ...
Genetic engineering may help in mapping the human brain
With the completion of the Human Genome Project, biology’s next big challenge will be to map the human brain, report ...
Synthetic biology comes down to Earth
The Chronicle of Higher Education profiles Jim Collins, a Boston University bioengineer and founder of synthetic biology ...
GMO labeling goes to Washington
Up until now, activists have been counting on state mandates to gain momentum to eventually push through national labeling laws ...
Human genes are patentable, says Australian court
An Australian federal court has ruled that human genes are patentable. The court held that isolated DNA – even if ...
Scientists savage each other over ‘Junk DNA’ study while journalists mis-report the science
The "junk DNA isn't junk!" headline ran rampant earlier this year, in the wake of the ENCODE project publishing reams ...
The “BioPiracy” myth at the heart of the Monsanto case
Anti-GMO campaigners and some farmers claim that Monsanto and other corporations use their deep pockets and unfair patent laws to ...
Supreme Court to weigh-in on human gene patent law conundrum
The Court’s decision in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, which will be argued in April, may finally settle ...
