Genetic Literacy Project
Podcast: The misused meta-analysis—How statistical trickery yields impressive but bogus study results
A meta-analysis allows researchers to compile data from many smaller studies and, hopefully, find more conclusive answers to critical public ...
‘Designed to be slow’: Why these coronavirus vaccines in the pipeline won’t be ready this year
New York City has become a curious mosaic of crowds and barrenness, people packed into hospitals and homes, yet familiar ...
Viewpoint: Coronavirus journal—Anatomy of a pandemic
The first case of what we now know to be COVID-19 was diagnosed on November 17, 2019 in Hubei province ...
3D-printed organs: Stuff of science fiction or an answer to the organ transplant shortage?
Among the more interesting applications of fast-moving 3D printing technology is its potential to help solve our critical organ transplant ...
With approval to plant GMO insect-resistant Bt cowpea, Nigerian farmer says her nation can lead Africa’s biotech ‘revolution’
I haven’t wanted to plant cowpea here in Nigeria because the plant suffers from one of the worst enemies imaginable: ...
Coronavirus can remain viable on everyday surfaces for up to 3 days. Here’s how to protect yourself
Disinfecting an area takes time and effort. And there is only so much you can do ...
‘Unforgiving math’: Why intensive agriculture is needed to fight climate change and feed 10 billion people
There is an unforgiving math at the interface of agriculture and the environment ...
Viewpoint: Anti-vaccine, anti-GMO groups use coronavirus outbreak to stir unfounded 5G-cancer fears
Leave it to science denialists to exploit a global crisis and tragedy to spread health hysteria. As the world struggles ...
California grows 90% of America’s fresh strawberries. Does pesticide dependence threaten the industry’s future?
Agricultural abundance is a pillar of the California dream. In 2016 the state turned out more than US$45 billion worth ...
‘Sophie’s Choice’ in the time of coronavirus: Deciding who gets the ventilator
Three otherwise healthy patients go to the emergency department with severe acute respiratory failure. Only one ventilator, required to sustain ...
Podcast: Coronavirus and food safety; debunking the ‘Dirty Dozen’; COVID-19 cure worse than the disease?
As the world takes unprecedented measures to blunt the coronavirus pandemic, some commentators argue 'the cure is worse than the ...
Viewpoint: Regenerative agriculture—An oversold sustainability solution to climate change?
Over the past six months, major food companies, like General Mills, Danone North America, Kellogg, and others, have launched efforts ...
Podcast: ‘God, what a mess!’—the accidental discovery of genetic fingerprinting
At 9.05am on the morning of 10th September 1984, geneticist Alec Jeffreys developed an X-ray film that would change the ...
In pursuit of coronavirus treatments and why we need to be cautious
It's impossible to keep up with entries at ClinicalTrials.gov that include the search term “COVID-19.” Last week when I posted Can ...
Podcast: Coronavirus isn’t just a bad flu; COVID-19 vaccine may be delayed; and have we cured HIV?
The novel coronavirus is not just "the flu," contrary to what you may have read on social media. There may ...
Searching the world’s remedies for novel coronavirus treatments: Can Viagra, stem cells or Chinese herbs help?
As the number of cases of COVID-19 continues to mount, so do entries at clinicaltrials.gov for potential treatments, reaching into ...
What is plant-based, genetically engineered “fake meat” and why is it being developed?
Vegan meat alternatives have been on the market for decades. However, these plant-based foods typically have appealed to a small ...
Viewpoint: Activist campaign against synthetic pesticides, fertilizers and GMOs a pending ‘disaster’ for our food supply
‘Farming looks mighty easy when your plough is a pencil, and you’re a thousand miles from the cornfield.’ Those were ...
All the resources you need in the global battle against the coronavirus
Curious about the state of research into screening and diagnostic tools for the coronavirus? Maybe you want to keep up ...
Can we immunize our food supply the same way we combat deadly diseases with vaccines?
In 16th century China, physicians found that inoculating healthy individuals with pus or dried scabs from someone infected with smallpox, ...
Comparing the coronavirus pandemic to past pathogenic threats: HIV, anthrax and Ebola
How does the COVID-19 pandemic compare to other infamous viral infections that have plagued us in modern times? It's a ...
Podcast: Fighting blindness with CRISPR. Ophthalmologist in groundbreaking study explains how gene editing could treat a once-incurable disease
Congenital eye disorders can rob children of their eyesight at a young age and severely diminish their quality of life ...
Coronavirus and food safety: Why there’s no need to panic
Every day seems to bring dire news about coronavirus COVID-19. As this virus spreads, how concerned should we be for ...
Studying the African genome could yield new medical treatments for everyone
A broader range of populations should be investigated to avoid genomic medicine being of benefit merely to a privileged few ...
No, we aren’t losing all of our honeybees. And neonicotinoid seed coatings aren’t driving their health problems—here’s why
The meme targeting neonics with the not-all-that vulnerable honeybee as their symbol is a powerful fund-raising tool for activists ...
Boosting sustainability and combating world hunger using protein from CO2-munching bacteria
This 'miracle' protein powder has the potential to significantly impact our efforts to feed a growing population ...
Delving into fuzzy forecasts: How many Americans are infected with the coronavirus?
In the absence of real numbers, projections have filled the void, and it's hard to know which forecasts to trust ...
Viewpoint: We’ll learn a lot from the coronavirus outbreak, but it will be ‘paid for in blood’
The coronavirus outbreak, now a pandemic spreading at an exponential rate throughout the world, is upending our routines, certainties and ...
