Through the hard work of UCLA Profs. Dan Blumstein (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology) and Barbara Natterson-Horowitz (Cardiology), a growing Program in Evolutionary Medicine has been established. This exciting enterprise brings together faculty and students from across campus to collaborate and educate in the burgeoning field of evolutionary approaches to health and disease. Evolutionary medicine is an emerging field that combines…
Studies by the geneticist and social scientist James Fowler suggest that serotonin, the neurotransmitter connected to mood disorders and depression, is strongly implicated in voting behavior. Article covered in NYTimes Opinion by Victoria Bassetti.
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 sequenced. Their concern addresses questions of accuracy and the risk of false positives as well as the potential of genetic discrimination for things like life and disability insurance. NPR covers…
A new IVF technique being debated in England uses three genetic parents to create an embryo. This procedure helps avoid possible mitochondrial disease, but some caution that it’s too soon to take such a radical new approach. Rueters has the story , HuffPost Live has a video
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 first to gain the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s approval leaving many to wonder – would an apple that doesn’t turn brown prevent us from telling whether it’s rotten? NPR covers…
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 out the entire genetic code — all 3 billion letters. It’s far from clear how often it will yield truly definitive, useful information. Vague results will send patients down long,…