Will Low-Cost Genome Sequencing Open 'Pandora's Box'?
As the price of sequencing an individual’s genome becomes as cheap as $1000, scientists and bioethicists discuss the risks and benefits of large populations of the public having their genome…
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If Genetically Modified Apples Don't Brown, Can You Tell If They're Rotten?
Okaganan Specialty Fruits Inc. has just has developed two genetically engineered varieties of green apples that will not turn brown after being sliced. These apples are poised to become the…
Doctors Sift Through Patients' Genomes To Solve Medical Mysteries
Until recently, genetic tests only scanned small parts of someone’s DNA, such as the parts carrying genes that can cause Huntington’s or Alzheimer’s or breast cancer. Whole genome sequencing spells…
Experimental Drug Is First To Help Kids With Premature-Aging Disease
Researchers have found the first drug to treat progeria, an extremely rare genetic disease that causes children to age so rapidly that many die in their teens. The drug, called…
From Cheetah Spots to Kitty’s Stripes: The Genetics of Cat Coats
After years of studying how cats get their color, researchers have pinpointed an elusive gene underlying spots on cheetahs, stripes in house cats and patterns across the feline world. Called Taqpep,…
As Scientists Question New Rat Study, GMO Debate Rages On
A study published this week in the well-respected journal Food and Chemical Toxicology has sparked a lot of controversy. In the study, titled “Long term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide…