Genetic Literacy Project
This gene gets blamed for migraines and a litany of other health issues. Reality is more complex
The story of the MTHFR gene shows that genetics is a probabilistic science ...
Fighting weeds: Can we reduce, or even eliminate, herbicides by utilizing robotics and AI?
A quick look at some of the technical strategies being pursued in farming robotics and AI ...
Podcast: Jon Entine, Kevin Folta, Perry Hackett on how gene editing could dampen the partisan GMO divide
How do you win over people who view crop biotechnology and corporate influence as threats? One answer may be gene ...
What martyred Thomas Becket and his holy lice can teach us about evolution
It’s a tale of murder, sex, and vermin. And gorillas. Reader discretion advised ...
Talking Biotech: How do we get consumers to think like scientists?
Thomas Zinnen and Kevin Folta tackle a perennial question: How do you communicate science to a hostile audience? ...
Viewpoint: With reasonable regulation, we can turn wild plants into food with gene editing
The crops we rely on today have been bred over thousands of years to enhance certain characteristics. For example, sweetcorn ...
Viewpoint: Parents’ anti-GMO fervor just might contribute to children’s allergies
Eating organic and avoiding GMOs has no effect on food allergies. But the mentality underlying GMO avoidance and overly-protective parenting ...
Why you could be genetically programmed to respond to placebos
Confounding drug research, some people appear genetically programmed to believe the placebo they take during drug trials actually works ...
What the CRISPR babies can teach us about the failings of ethical oversight
This isn't just about process, about ethical boxes left unchecked ...
Podcast with Dr. Paul Offit: Striking similarities between anti-biotech and anti-vaccine activism
The anti-vaccine and anti-GMO movements are increasingly overlapping in methods and outlook ...
Some animal species never get cancer. What can we learn from them?
The search for clues has led researchers to study animals who don’t develop cancer at all ...
Viewpoint: The public loses when a ‘prestigious’ journal such as Nature indulges in political activism
Is this really about science, or is something else going on here? ...
Viewpoint: Putting CRISPR babies in context—learning from the past instead of panicking in the present
The brouhaha against the gene-edited twins echoes recent history of alternative reproductive technologies ...
Magic and morality: Why some consumers are afraid of GMOs
In the eyes of Susan Schenck, GMOs are pretty much the worst thing going in food. As the author of ...
Why some types of obesity are worse than others
Where you put on weight is as important as how much you put on ...
Talking Biotech: Tough questions about genetic engineering—a listener interviews Dr. Kevin Folta
Roles are reversed on this week's podcast. Science enthusiast and blogger Gary Nolan interviews Dr. Folta ...
Ugandan researchers look to biotechnology to bolster food production in the face of climate change
As the impact of climate change continues to grow worldwide, farmers are likely to face new challenges in the form ...
Viewpoint: Let’s hope the Chinese gene editing fiasco doesn’t lead to a cruel and unnecessary ban on germline gene therapy
A backlash could be hugely counterproductive. So let's start with the facts ...
Whole Foods embraces slow-growing chickens: Why that’s not so environmentally sustainable
There is a movement, pushed by Whole Foods, to go back to slower-growing chickens. This is problematic from a sustainability ...
How tiny ‘organs-on-a-chip’ could transform medical research
Researchers have pioneered what may be the most accurate simulation of kidney function to-date ...
Onto the grill: But are consumers ready to embrace—and eat—lab-grown meat?
It’s been a busy summer for food-based biotech. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration made headlines when it approved the ...
Why did Tanzania just pull the plug on its GMO crop trials?
When the Tanzanian government announced Friday [November 23] they were ending field trials of genetically engineered crops in the country ...
Hiding in plain sight: Exploring Parkinson’s link to the appendix
Lurking in the layers of the human appendix lie deposits of alpha-synuclein, a protein prone to gumminess, like sticky rice ...
Why fears in Nigeria over the safety of GMO cotton are misplaced
Nigeria is moving forward with plans to boost its textile industry through the approval of its first GM crop, BT ...
‘Reprogramming’ skin cells to treat chronic wounds
By reprogramming wounded cells to a 'stem-cell-like' stage could help treat chronic sores ...
Talking Biotech: As demand for food rises, the world needs more plant scientists
The world needs plant scientists. Two experts explain how you can join the field ...
Talking Biotech: Corporations corrupt science research? What are real conflicts of interest?
A closer look at how money influences science ...
Genes and giraffes: What do those spots tell us?
Giraffes' spotty exterior provides more than camouflage ...
