Featured Stories Thursday, June 20, 2013

Be prepared for the big genome leak Steven E. Brenner | Nature

The number of genomes in research databases is growing — how long will it be before that information gets out?
Faroe Islands aim to sequence genes of entire country Brendan Borelle | Discover

The Health Ministry of the Faroe Islands plans to sequence the genomes of every interested citizen.
Synthetic blood may introduce a host of complications Devon Maloney | Wired

The pending arrival of synthetic blood is likely to come with some serious socioeconomic and ethical issues.
Supreme court limits gene patents in mixed ruling Greg Stohr & Susan Decker | Bloomberg

The U.S. Supreme Court has restricted the ability of companies to patent human genetic sequences.
Mother Jones: Is synthetic biology something to fear? Tom Philpott | Mother Jones

The funded synthetic biology Glowing Plant kickstarter campaign raises questions and fears for some.

Biotechnology must remain part of EU-US trade negotiations John Reifsteck | Truth About Trade & Technology

Biotech crops are a sticking point in free-trade negotiations between the US and European Union.
The impatient optimism of GM crops and food security Jonas Kathage | Biofortified

Are GM crops needed to feed the world? That’s not the right question to ask.
“GMOs make pigs sick” paper avoids rigorous analysis David Tribe | GMO Pundit

New research claiming GM foods hurt pigs is more fishing expedition than proper science.
Comedian Dusty Smith gores GMO critics and anti-Monsanto junkies Dusty Smith | Cult of Dusty (YouTube)

Comedian-critic Dusty Smith rails against common misconceptions surrounding GM crops and Monsanto’s business practices.
Congress “protects” GM crops Laura DeFrancesco | Nature Biotechnology

The “Monsanto Protect Act” provision passed earlier this year has elicited overstated responses from critics and proponents alike.

The perils of neurocentrismMatthew Huston | Wall Street Journal
The issue with fMRI and other neuroscience techniques is "neurocentrism" -- "the view that human experience and behavior can be best explained from the predominant or even exclusive perspective of the brain."
GM foods grow upEliza Strickland & Samuel K. Moore | IEEE Spectrum
Critics of transgenic crops often focus on the seemingly unnatural act of adding something new and alien to a plant's genetic code. But today's geneticists have also found new ways to optimize crops using a plant's own DNA.
- Harvest of Fear: Interview-Joe Hotchkiss
- Food: How Altered?
No, this is not how the human face might look in 100,000 yearsMatthew Herper | Forbes
One artist’s vision of what humanity will look like in 100,000 years includes huge eyes and foreheads. Apparently, we’re all going to turn into the anime character Sailor Moon. This makes a striking image, but it's not based on science.
- How The Human Face Might Look in 100,000 Years
Scientists identify mutations associated with intelligence for first timeDebora MacKenzie | New Scientist
In the first study of its kind that has generated a reproducible result, researchers report on ten variations in DNA that may be associated with intelligence. Researchers have been searching for genetic markers linked to intelligence for more than a decade.

The erosion of genetic privacyGina Kolata | New York Times
For years now, a steady stream of research has eroded scientists’ faith that DNA can be held anonymously. Not so long ago, people who provided DNA in the course of research studies were told that their privacy was assured.
Police DNA databases grow in wake of Supreme Court rulingJoseph Goldstein | New York Times
A growing number of local law enforcement agencies across the country have moved into what had previously been the domain of the F.B.I. and state crime labs — amassing their own DNA databases of potential suspects.
Gene patent ruling: Cause for celebration and criticismGenetic Literacy Project
The US Supreme Court rule against "natural" gene patents was hailed as a victory for patients everywhere. But closer inspection reveals that muddled ideas of "natural" and "synthetic" keep the ruling from being as clear-cut as it first appears.
Nature Biotechnology analysis lashes French politicians for feeding anti-biotech feverJon Entine | Genetic Literacy Project
In March 2012, the French government issued an emergency ban on a GM strain of corn “to protect the environment." Fifteen months later, no evidence has been presented to justify the ban. Now French crop biotechnology experts have lambasted their former government.

Biotechnology must remain part of EU-US trade negotiations