Guardian
Sequenced palm oil genome paves the way for sustainable plantations
Few environmentalists feel any fondness for the oil palm, with its connections to deforestation in the tropics. But the waxy ...
Preparing for the inevitable: drug resistant malaria
As parasite populations evolve and develop the new gene variants needed to evade current malaria drugs, scientists are faced with the ...
Should we clone a mammoth?
Last week the most recently discovered carcass of a mammoth was revealed to the public in Yokohama, Japan. The female mammoth, ...
The precautionary principle is a blunt instrument
The precautionary principle is a blunt instrument, a 90s throwback out of place in an era of "smart solutions" and ...
The precautionary principle is out-of-step with the modern world
In place of informed, real-world choices that include the potential implications of both doing something and not doing it, the ...
Sex selection has the potential to skew future generations
This week, a report by medical ethicists concluded there was no justification for the UK's current ban on sex selection of ...
How do genetics, practice, and luck produce talent?
Many people have an overly simplistic understanding of talent. They view talent as innate, ready to spring forth given the ...
New genome sequencing technique produces its first genetically-screened IVF baby
The first IVF baby to screened using an inexpensive and fast genome sequencing procedure has been born in the US ...
Ancient origin of hepatitis B viruses revealed by DNA fossils in bird genomes
The following is an excerpt. As the old adage goes; "One man's trash is another man's treasure": what has often ...
UK on verge of approving mitochondrial replacement therapy
The UK government is poised to decide whether to accept the recommendations of an expert panel and approve a radical ...
Neuroscience: Big promises, big problems
Neuroimaging is widely regarded as the key to understanding everything we do -- but is this wrong? ...
The cancer genome in context: of mice and mutations
Researchers push the boundaries of cancer genomics--including making custom mouse models to develop personalized treatments ...
British geneticist Edith Heard discusses the limitations of epigenetics
The following is an edited excerpt. When something isn't working, Edith Heard is the kind of person who will try to fix ...
The dangers of condescension in the GM debate
The UK's Environmental Minister needs to reframe his proposed GM discussion if he wants to avoid a slow-motion train wreck ...
Genetic modification and the fate of sustainable fish farming
Whole Foods's refusal to stock salmon fed with GM yeast may stifle technology that delivers environmental benefits ...
Decoding ‘orphan crop’ genomes could save millions of lives in Africa
The following is an edited excerpt. The future wellbeing of millions of Africans may rest in the unlikely hands of ...
Oswald T Avery: unsung hero of genetic science
The following is an excerpt. Seventy years ago, at about midnight on 26 May 1943, a slight, balding man in ...
Why do identical twins end up having such different lives?
The following is an editorial summary. How can identical twins--individuals who have the same genes and who grew up in ...
The ethical conundrum of “expert” bioethicists
Even as bioethicists everywhere pontificate in the wake of the recent first successfully cloned human embryo, Nathan Emmerich argues that ...
Angelina Jolie’s cancer decision highlights row over genetic technology
The following is an excerpt. Angelina Jolie's decision to speak out about her decision to have a preventive double mastectomy ...
US State Department promotes GE crops overseas; activists howl
The following is an edited excerpt. If you have a feeling that genetically modified (GM) foods are being forced upon ...
UK: Supermarkets cash in on unfounded fears about GMOs, aspartame, MSG
The following is an edited excerpt of a longer story. Find a link to the full story below. We have ...
The genetics of gender and sexuality
The following is an excerpt. This week Camila Ruz meets Dr Helena Cronin, co-director of the Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social ...
Gene therapy combats heart failure, provides renewed hope for genetic medicine
A new treatment offers hope for patients suffering heart failure, and also for scientists who would like to see gene ...
Young Engineer of the Year builds his own genetics lab (video)
The following is an excerpt. Fred Turner, Young Engineer of the Year 2013, describes how he built his own PCR machine ...
DNA double helix: discovery that led to 60 years of biological revolution
The following is an excerpt. The myth is that science proceeds in fits and starts, with eureka moments delivering revelation ...
GM salmon’s global HQ – 1,500m high in the Panamanian rainforest
The following is an excerpt. The US government this week enters the final stages of its deliberationson whether to allow commercial ...
Gene patents are a hindrance to innovation
The following is an excerpt. You carry a set of instructions in every cell, encrypted in DNA. Your genome, 3 billion ...
