Fifteen chemicals that disrupt our endocrine hormonal systems have been linked to earlier menopause among US women. Amber Cooper from Washington University in St Louis, US, and colleagues found women aged 45 to 55 exposed to the organic compounds were up to six times more likely to be menopausal than unexposed peers. The substances include long-banned but persistent polychlorinated biphenyls…
Scientists from the universities of Manchester and Sheffield have developed a computer model charting what happens in the brain when an action is chosen that leads to a reward. The model could provide new insights into the mechanisms behind motor disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease. It may also shed light on conditions involving abnormal learning, such as addiction. Dr. Mark…
The Institute for Public Knowledge invites you to join us for a conversation with Aaron Panofsky, Ann Morning, and Dalton Conley on Panofsky’s new book, Misbehaving Science: Controversy and the Development of Behavior Genetics. Behavior genetics has always been a breeding ground for controversies. From the “criminal chromosome” to the “gay gene,” claims about the influence of genes like these have led to often vitriolic…
Dr. Eric Vilain, a professor of human genetics, urology and pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and co-director of UCLA’s Institute for Society and Genetics, was interviewed Oct. 6 by the New York Times and Oct. 7 by KPCC 89.3FM’s AirTalk show about a young female sprinter from India who was banned from competition due to…
An obscure swatch of human DNA once thought to be nothing more than biological trash may actually offer a treasure trove of insight into complex genetic-related diseases such as cancer and diabetes, thanks to a novel sequencing technique developed by biologists at Texas A&M University. The game-changing discovery was part of a study led by Texas A&M biology doctoral candidate…
Handwashing with antibacterial soap exposes hospital workers to significant and potentially unsafe levels of triclosan, a widely-used chemical currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to a study led by researchers from UC San Francisco. Triclosan, a synthetic antibacterial agent, is found in thousands of consumer products, including soaps, cosmetics, acne creams and some brands of…