Ricki Lewis
Can DNA predict a person’s facial features? New forensic tool gets us closer, by deducing hair, eye and skin color
Could DNA testing predict faces to go with found body parts? ...
Viewpoint: Netflix’s horror movie ‘Eli’ is a fright. But why did they have to ‘tarnish gene therapy’?
Attempts to treat genetic disease shouldn’t be the stuff of horror films ...
Ancestry tests underreport African genetic diversity, limiting benefits of precision medicine for blacks. Here’s how we can change that.
The newly-sequenced African genomes will help fill in the outlines of the origin and diversification of humanity ...
Hemophilia B—the blood disease that plagued Europe’s royal families—might be treatable using gene editing
Researchers are hoping to use gene editing to create more effective and less expensive treatment options--compared to gene therapy--for people ...
What sperm banks could learn from Fox’s ‘Almost Family’ and ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ sequel ‘The Testaments’
It’s time for tighter regulation of assisted reproductive technologies ...
Did a ‘flawed’ bioterror plot doom Netflix’s ‘Designated Survivor’?
The bioterror plot succeeded, in tone if not in detail, by illuminating the idiocy of white supremacy ...
Using young blood to battle Alzheimer’s could be ‘an exciting new start in a frustrating field’
The idea of therapeutic benefits from 'young blood' has been around a long time ...
No ‘gay gene’: Massive study finds no specific genetic predictors for sexual behavior, preferences
The once-prevailing concept of a “gay gene” dictating sexual orientation has been put to rest in a powerhouse study ...
‘We simply don’t yet know enough’: International commission urges caution with human germline editing
Using CRISPR in a heritable way raises the stakes exponentially ...
How a one-time CRISPR shot could obliterate lower back pain
CRISPR may be able to block back pain by dampening the immune system’s cytokine signals ...
The ‘magic mix’ of ingredients responsible for the Impossible Burger’s taste and texture
The actual science behind the Impossible Burger is fascinating ...
‘Why did I get cancer?’ We can do more to alleviate ‘angst, guilt’ accompanying a diagnosis
More time spent explaining the biology of cancer to patients can help alleviate angst and guilt. ...
How microbiome research promises to solve blood shortages, halt food allergies and give us better skin
A microbiome isn’t just something to maintain or optimize – it can also be a crystal ball ...
Pot smokers with this genetic variant could face addiction risks similar to those who smoke cigarettes
Back in the 1960s and 1970s, for those of us who can remember them, marijuana was widely regarded as not ...
Pharmacogenetics and depression: Genetic screening could eliminate trial-and-error approach to medications
Antidepressants may soon be added to the growing list of medications genetically matched to patients most likely to respond — ...
Do China’s controversial CRISPR babies illustrate the need for an ‘undo button’?
Will CRISPR-in-the-clinic come with a fail-safe mechanism? ...
DNA for the greater good: Should the police have access to consumer DNA databases?
There is an urgent need for international guidelines and policies ...
How this promising gene therapy for a rare neuromuscular disease was fueled by passionate parents and a dog
The gene therapy will be too late for Joshua Frase. But it will be his legacy ...
‘The broken promise of anonymity’? Bioethicist’s call to guard identity of sperm and egg donors is misguided
Dr. Pennings’ opinion fails to capture the complexity of donation ...
Revived pig brains may unleash uncomfortable questions for how we define death
The researchers hypothesized an “under-appreciated capacity” of an oxygen-starved mammalian brain to survive ...
Exploring the havoc that can be unleashed by consumer ancestry tests
On what fraction of a human genome do the consumer DNA companies base these deductions that can shatter lives? ...
NASA twins study highlights key risks for long-term space travel: Cosmic rays and microgravity
When NASA reported preliminary observations about the famous “twin astronaut” study a year ago, the media rushed in, reporting the ...
Genetic uncertainty: When research participants should be told that their test results have changed
“Do you mind if we take one more sample?” asked the endocrinologist who had already stuck six needles into the ...
Taking a bad trip and why marijuana edibles may be a prescription for psychosis
A study looked at high-potency cannabis and psychosis. The findings were astonishing ...
WTF? Did the rise of agriculture—and soft foods—give us the ability to drop F bombs?
How the foods we eat influence the sounds our languages develop ...
Newborns and genome sequencing: Do we sacrifice privacy in the name of health?
If history provides a lesson, routine newborn genomic sequencing won’t come without a fight ...
Key to fecal transplants could revolve around ‘recipe and preparation’
Fecal transplants are slowly becoming a more effective, and more palatable option for various gut disorders, such as IBS or ...
Many people are confused and concerned about human gene editing. They might just need a ‘better understanding’ of how it works
Genome editing has struck a public nerve in a more profound way than most new medical technologies ...
