News

A Chinese scientist horrified the world in 2018 when he revealed he had secretly engineered the birth of the world's first gene-edited babies.

His work was reviled as reckless and unethical because, among other reasons, gene-editing was so new...

INTRODUCTION

Baby bonuses. Motherhood medals. Fertility tracking. You may have heard of these policy proposals as solutions from the Trump administration to help encourage women to have more children.

Besides falling short of ensuring that people have what they need...

Adapted from Mitochondrial DNA at
National Human Genome Research Institute

Recently, media outlets around the world have been reporting on...

A newly available kind of genetic testing, called polygenic embryo screening, promises to screen for conditions that can include cancer...

A person suited in bioharzard gear, examines a sample of corn in a field.
By Ken Roseboro, EcoWatch | 06.01.2017

Twenty years ago, proponents of genetic engineering promised that GMO foods would increase yields, reduce pesticides, produce nutritious foods...

Illustrated image which displays the letters ATCG (representing DNA base pairs) being built.
By Jessica Wapner, Newsweek | 05.31.2017

For the past few years, a new scientific tool known as CRISPR-Cas9 has been hailed as the future of medicine...

A nurse examines a newborn baby through a transport incubator
By Sheila Black, New York Times | 05.31.2017

Lately, the online patient support group I am part of, the XLH Network — short for X-linked hypophosphatemia, the genetic...

Portrait photo of Jennifer Doudna casually dressed and smiling in front of shaded trees.
By Nathaniel Comfort, Nature | 05.31.2017

The prospect of a memoir from Jennifer Doudna, a key player in the CRISPR story, quickens the pulse. And A...

A laboratory scientist, in protective gear, holds a pippette to transfer samples from one test tube to several other test tubes on a rack.
By Emily Baumgaertner, New York Times | 05.28.2017

WASHINGTON — President Trump has promoted his first budget proposal as placing one mission above all else — keeping America...

Microscopic image of a mesenchymal stem cell
By Jill Johnson, The Conversation | 05.25.2017

Everyone seems to be excited about stem cells. Their excellent promise as a treatment for a range of diseases and...

A white male reads over a pile of genetic testing kit contents on a kitchen stove top.
By Timothy Caulfield, Policy Options | 05.25.2017

There is a direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing company that gives parents the opportunity to uncover their kids’ “hidden” talents. You...

A DNA spit kit is shown, featuring a container and a specimen bag.
By Harry Kretchmer, You and Yours, BBC Radio 4 | 05.25.2017

A leading genealogy service, Ancestry.com, has denied exploiting users' DNA following criticism of its terms and conditions.

The US...