News

More Americans are turning to surrogacy to build their families, as the practice becomes more common and more publicly discussed.

Why it matters: As surrogacy becomes more visible and accessible, ethical, legal and cultural tensions become harder to ignore...

This is the first part of the 14th installment in the Legacies of Eugenics series, which features essays by leading thinkers devoted to exploring the history of eugenics and the ways it shapes our present. The series is organized by...

Without a federal law, surrogacy in the U.S. is governed by a patchwork of state regulations/

Why it matters: Confusing...

"MC0_8230" via Wikimedia Commons licensed under CC by 2.0 

This report documents a deliberate assault on disabled people in...

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...

A black and white image of a robotic hand lightly grasping a human hand.
By Yuval Noah Harari, The Guardian | 05.24.2017

Biotechnology and the rise of AI may split humankind into a small class of ‘superhumans’ and a huge underclass of

...
Close up photo of a hand clock.
By David Jensen, Capitol Weekly | 05.23.2017

C. Randal Mills, the 45-year-old CEO of California’s $3 billion stem cell research program, is a man who loves his...