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Three-Parent Babies

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      

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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 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…

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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, it and two other genes produce proteins central to a cascade of cell-level events that ultimately generate your kitty’s distinctive coat.  “It’s something we’ve been curious about for a long…

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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 and a Roundup-tolerant genetically modified maize” Dr. Gilles-Eric Séralini and colleagues basically concludes that rats fed a diet of genetically modified corn and small amounts of herbicides got sicker faster…

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