Human Genetics Features
The GLP tackles innovations in human genetics and biotechnology. We highlight the work of our own writers, as well as that of contributors from around the Web. The GLP does not take a position on genetics-related issues; any opinions expressed belong to the authors.
Categories include:
- CRISPR and gene editing
- Gene therapy
- Stem cell research
- Genetic diseases
- Synthetic biology
- Epigenetics
- Biodrugs (pharmacogenetics)
- Personal genomics
- Ancestry and evolution
- Ethics and regulations
X, Y, sex and gender: When genetics pulls a fast one
The spectrum of information that can be obtained by prenatal testing is wide and rapidly increasing. Many mutations, or "abnormalities," ...
GLP podcast: Assessing the Cass report; Fetal genome surgery could treat disease during pregnancy; How ‘body-tracking data’ threatens privacy
The recently released Cass report has intensified an already ferocious debate over gender-affirming care for children. What are the key ...
Fabricated and plagiarized data plague scientific research — and the impacts are far-reaching and long-lasting
Far too many scientific papers are being retracted from prestigious scientific journals because scientists fabricated or falsified data. Although no ...
Personalized genetic cancer treatments key in increasing longevity and quality of life
Personalized, or precision, medicine applied to cancer treatment has its origins in studies of human genetics and the genetic mutations ...
Viewpoint: Promotion of social science drivel by Science magazine editor-in-chief Holden Thorp undermines the credibility of his preeminent journal
Holden Thorp, the editor-in-chief of the prestigious journal Science, described on Substack a discussion that occurred during the recent meeting of the American Association ...
GLP podcast: Golden Rice delayed in the Philippines; Ozempic could reshape our food supply? Exposing myths about cancer risk
A court in the Philippines has blocked the release of vitamin-A fortified Golden Rice in the country. What happens next? ...
Viewpoint: Here’s why the U.S. cannot afford widespread rejection of vaccines
Two senior FDA officials, including Dr. Robert Califf, the agency head, recently published a journal article entitled "Is Vaccination Approaching a Dangerous ...
Andrew Wakefield and the fabricated history of the alleged vaccine-autism link
The claim that vaccines cause autism is entirely false. Extensive research has consistently shown no link between vaccines and autism. In ...
Viewpoint: Should you be concerned when you read that a chemical in your food has been linked to cancer? Here’s an epidemiologist’s checklist to detect over-hyped scares
During the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, epidemiology ha assumed an outsized role in the public consciousness. It was pervasive ...
How IARC and other ‘independent’ global cancer assessment agencies can distort the public’s understanding of the risks of cancer
Cancer is a catch-all for hundreds of unique diseases, which develop when cells in your body no longer listen to ...
Why is it so difficult to find a treatment for Huntington’s Disease?
The Huntington’s disease (HD) community has recently experienced setbacks, but a new research report may reignite hope, from an unexpected ...
GLP Podcast: Anti-vax doctor claims COVID vaccines ‘shed’; Abandon milk and meat for the environment?
Do mRNA COVID vaccines "shed" particles? This anti-vax myth rears its ugly head yet again. Are milk and meat alternatives ...
Superintelligence, superlongevity and superhappiness: How billionaire transhumanists want to converge humanity and artificial intelligence
Many prominent people in the tech industry have talked about the increasing convergence between humans and machines in coming decades ...
Viewpoint: US childhood vaccination rates are at a 10-year low. Here’s how fringe science views are seeping into the mainstream
Rates of routine childhood vaccination hit a 10-year low in 2023. That, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ...
How taking LSD to relieve anxiety disorder can work for months after the chemicals leave your brain
Psychotropic drugs are all the rage now as a potential treatment of brain diseases. Examples are ketamine and psilocybin for ...
Groundbreaking pineapple-flavored spray vaccine could prevent urinary tract infections for up to 9 years
A breakthrough almost decade-long study of a spray vaccine offers promise for billions of women who suffer from urinary tract ...
Nature’s lost scents: Perfumes made to replicate extinct plants provide an olfactory glimpse into the past
“Meet Invisible Woods: a clean, refreshing scent revived from extinct flower DNA,” beneath an image of “origin flower” Wendlandia angustifolia ...
Yet another anti-vax doctor claims vaccines ‘shed’. Where did this myth originate?
It’s been too short a time since I last wrote about the antivaccine myth of “shedding,” particularly in the context of ...
Do the MAOA and CDH13 ‘human warrior genes’ make violent criminals—and what should society do?
What can--or should--be done about genetic predispositions that lead to grim social consequences in only some of the people with ...
Viewpoint: ‘Enemy of Science’ — Friends of the Earth renews its organic industry-funded campaign against GM crops
In 1969, a fellow who felt that the eugenicist founders of Sierra Club were not militant enough in their war ...
‘Race’, anti-racism and biology
Using biology to determine the racial ancestry of human remains is racist. Except when it’s done in the name of ...
GLP podcast: Dangers of ‘diet weed’; Making insulin in cow’s milk; The conservative case for genetic enhancement
So-called "diet weed" is slowly gaining popularity across the US. Is this newfangled drug safe to consume? Scientists have successfully ...
Gametes? Embryo? Fetus? There are 17 timepoints when a human life might begin
I wish that I could stop reposting this essay – I do so whenever limitations on women’s reproductive rights become ...
The radical conservative case for genetic enhancement
The conclusion of the sexual revolution is about to be written ...
GLP podcast: GE crops have lived up to the hype; Growing ‘mini’ organs from stem cells; How do we solve right-wing vaccine hesitancy?
Genetically engineered crops are nearly three decades olds at this point. What impacts have they had on agriculture over those ...
Power of placebo: Here is how the ‘belief effect’ influences our views on nutrition, pain and mental health
There is a fascinating interplay between the power of belief and its profound impact on our corporeal health and nutrition ...
Curious what chickens cluck about? AI is decoding the language of poultry
Understanding chickens' vocalizations can transform our approach to poultry farming, enhancing their welfare and quality of life ...
