Meredith Knight
One family’s story of misdiagnosis reveals harsh reality: DNA tests aren’t perfect
Personal genetic tests and precision medicine are becoming increasingly popular tools but caution is appropriate. The technology is still evolving ...
Questions about wisdom of early mammograms raise stakes for genetic profiling
Conflicting screening recommendations are sure to confuse women — which raises the importance of factoring in genetic factors in risk ...
IVF doesn’t cause low sperm counts in boy babies—Genes do
Media coverage of a recent study about infertility among boys who were conceived through IVF highlights that many misunderstand how ...
23andMe: Alt-right mistaken, DNA tests can’t ‘prove their whiteness’
A trend among members of the ultraconservative 'alt-right' movement is posting genetic test results online to prove their ‘whiteness.” They ...
Hillary Clinton: Evolutionary “grandma hypothesis” meets the grandma candidate
Grandmothers played an important role in the evolution of human social relationships and as generational knowledge sinks. Now women of ...
Nutrigenomics: Can custom diets based on personal genetics help you lose weight?
Several companies offer services that will match you with the best diet based on your genes. But can genetic information ...
Should FDA crack down on stem cell clinics?
Stem cell clinics operating in the U.S. market cures for nearly every kind of disorder without evidence they work or ...
Is crowdsourcing key to finding cures for genetic-based diseases like depression?
Fifteen gene loci are linked to depression using 23andMe user data in the most comprehensive study of the disease yet ...
Humans who can’t feel pain pointing way to non-addictive painkillers
Genes linked to pain detection and perception may be physiological targets for new, non-addictive painkillers ...
How many genomes is enough for US Precision Medicine Initiative?
FDA head says Precision Medicine Initiative should sequence one in every four Americans. Where will that money come from? And ...
ACLU to Myriad Genetics: Patients, not companies, own personal genetic data
Myriad Genetics is back in another legal dispute. This time it's in hot water for denying patients a portion of ...
Discovery of stalagmites, burned bones provides insights into pre-modern Neanderthal culture
A new cache of artifacts found in a French cave are evidence of a rich Neanderthal culture and a reminder ...
Microbe genes key to minimizing environmental damage from Deepwater Horizon spill
Bacteria were instrumental in cleaning up the largest oil spill in world history. Does this mean a future for microbes ...
What can sequencing da Vinci’s genome teach us about genius?
A team of scientists wants to sequence Leonardo da Vinci’s genome using DNA taken from his works of art and ...
It’s not cancer: Removing cancer label from some conditions may greatly improve care
A common thyroid tumor is reclassified as ‘not cancer.’ Will our growing knowledge cancer genetics lead to more reclassifications? ...
Life insurance companies deny coverage to those with cancer genes like BRCA
US law bars discrimination against based on a person's genetics, but the law only protects in certain areas, which is ...
Can we treat aging? Anti-aging supplements make big promises based on little science
New compounds that slow cellular aging in experiments are emerging in the dietary supplement market. But with no studies in ...
Reflections on Craig Venter’s synbio creation: Life, from scratch
A high profile team creates a bacteria by building its genome block by block, but what's the point? ...
Boy’s death highlights need for reform, more oversight in medical genetics
A lab mischaracterizes a rare genetic mutation and a boy dies. The boy's case shows how our standards for reporting ...
Making monkeys just to suffer: Is new autism model ethical?
Genetic engineers created monkeys that model autism. But some question the ethics of creating such a model when our own ...
IVF: Safe method of conception for those with infertility or ‘evolutionary experiment’
An evolutionary biologist called IVF an ‘evolutionary experiment’ and alleges IVF kids will have more health problem. Evidence for these ...
Mutated genes don’t always lead to genetic diseases
Sonia Vallabh, a scientist, carries a rare mutation that normally causes a neurodegenerative disease. But how likely is it she ...
Why humans uniquely live long enough to become grandparents
The Grandma Hypothesis suggests that humans were evolutionarily successful because older females helped their daughters raise children. But living beyond ...
Could we functionally cure HIV through gene editing?
Charlie Sheen’s HIV announcement put AIDs back in the headlines. Gene editing may provide the chance to eliminate the disease ...
Immune therapy for cancer needs the right gut stuff
A patient’s microbiome influences how well a new class of immune system cancer drugs work ...
Precision medicine’s cost challenges: Are there lower tech alternatives?
Precision medicine is leading to cures but at high cost to healthcare systems. But there are emerging examples of lower-tech ...
Controversial recommendation: American College of Medical Geneticists warns against Alzheimer gene tests
Citing inconclusive results and lack of medical treatments, the national authority on genetic testing recommends against not to test for ...
