Kenrick Vezina
It’s time for a cancer genomics revolution
Cancer genomics has produced some major successes; genetically tailored drugs are around the corner in the UK. But as this ...
Anti-GMO fear of ‘foreign’ genes? Ferns are latest examples of ‘natural’ genetic modification
Ag biotechnology opponents fret that transferring genes across species is "unnatural" and "dangerous." But it happens in nature--naturally. A study, ...
Lab grown blood fit for human transfusion, a regenerative medicine first
“We have made red blood cells that are fit to go in a person’s body," says Marc Turner, medical director ...
Inner life of your cells is controlled chaos
A new animated video sheds light on the jittery, jumbled inner lives of our cells. Carl Zimmer at the New ...
Why embracing the “unnatural” can help us improve on—and preserve—nature
Can we improve on nature? Yes, argues agronomist Andrew McGuire, but he's only talking about farming. I take his argument ...
Embattled STAP stem cell researcher: I’m not guilty of miscounduct, technique works
Stem cell scientist Haruko Obokata -- recently accused by her employer, Japan's prestigious RIKEN institute, of research misconduct -- has ...
Greener paper through genetically engineered trees
Genetically engineered trees are easier to process into pulp, making tree farming less resource-intensive. The same techniques could be adapted ...
DNA nanorobots deliver medicine inside cockroaches, act like a computer
"It's a computer -- inside a cockroach." So writes Sarah Spickernell in a fascinating account at New Scientist of DNA-based ...
4 billionth acre of biotech crops about to be planted
Fourth-generation family farmer muses on the soon-to-be-planted four billionth acre of biotech crops at Truth About Trade & Technology. What ...
Modern genetics undermines neat boundaries of species
Christopher Kemp at Popular Science shows us how genetics can turn one species of bat into seven, all from within ...
Brain implants may help monitor neurological problems, address depression and Parkinson’s
Helen Shen at Nature chronicles a new class of deep brain implant that not only helps treat Parkinson's but may, ...
Ancient viral DNA may play key role in how human stem cells work
A significant portion of our genetic material is comprised of holdovers from viral infections long ago. Now it seems like ...
Breakthrough STAP stem cell researchers officially guilty of misconduct
Earlier this year researchers at Japan's RIKEN institute announced a remarkably easy way to produce stem cells -- the holy ...
MIT researchers use MRI to study genetic activity in brains
MIT researchers have used genetic engineering and a bit of chemistry to make it possible, for the first time, to ...
Breakthrough biology: First synthetic chromosome for yeast created, capping month of biotech innovations
Scientists have created the first man-made chromosome for yeast, a landmark for synthetic biology that promises to push the boundaries ...
Birth of ‘living materials’ at MIT combines synthetic biology, materials engineering
Hot on the heels of the creation of bionic plants, MIT has announced the development of "living materials" using bacteria, ...
Largest genome ever sequenced: Loblolly pine
A new record: scientists successfully sequenced the genome of the loblolly pine, a 100-foot-tall tree with 23 billion base pairs ...
Revisiting the “gay gene” controversy: Homosexuality is only a disorder if society makes it one
Earlier this year, findings shared at the annual AAAS meeting triggered a firestorm of "gay gene" headlines and reactionary op-eds ...
Honoring of Green Revolution’s Norman Borlaug ignites ideological skirmishes
Today would have been Norman Borlaug's 100th birthday. As the father of the Green Revolution he is credited with saving ...
Bill Nye isn’t really an anti-GMO guy
The Physics Police blog uncovered an episode of Bill Nye's "Eye of Nye" from 2005 in which Nye might be ...
Your genes give you a unique world of smells–1.7 trillion scents
Humans can distinguish between 1.7 trillion smells on average. Ed Yong blogs about it at National Geographic, revealing in the ...
Transhumanism in the crosshairs: The dark side of radical longevity
Will the radical longevity promised by futurists like J. Craig Venter allow us to create hell on earth, intentionally or ...
Chicken genomes and human history: What can the DNA of our animal associates can reveal about our past?
A new study uses chicken genetics to poke holes in the theory that Polynesians reached South America before Europeans. It ...
The selfish gene debate: The power of stories in science and society
Science writer David Dobbs wrote an article late last year calling for a new narrative to help us understand evolution ...
‘Fat gene’ stands falsely accused, offers lesson in gene-gene interactions
For much of the last decade, a gene called FTO has been touted as a 'fat gene'. Now it seems ...
Teen identifies rare mutation in her own cancer, champions new age of open-access genetics
Elana Simon, an 18-year-old high school student, has published a "groundbreaking" genetic study of her own rare cancer in Science ...
Was Lamarck right? Epigenetic research suggests we might inherit learned traits. But how?
It seems almost certain that epigenetic effects -- an annotation to DNA that changes how genes are expressed -- can ...
Largest-ever virus discovered in (and revived from) 30,000-year-old permafrost
A record-setting little giant---the biggest virus ever discovered---has been revived from 30,000-year-old Siberian permafrost with little more than a thaw ...
