Robin McKie
This hardy pea plant is climate-change resistant, but sometimes poisonous. Here’s how gene editing could turn it into a ‘climate crisis’ crop
It is grown in some of the world’s most inhospitable, arid regions and is noted for being rich in protein ...
What guardrails should be set when using gene editing to improve our species? March global meeting of scientists will address
As the world’s top human genome editing researchers gather in London, the ethical issues posed by pioneering scientific advances will ...
‘Perfect human’? Genetics researchers ponder ethical consequences of tinkering with human DNA
Researchers are investigating ways to use genome editing to tackle sickle cell anaemia, muscular dystrophy, cancer, diabetes and some forms ...
Heat-tolerant wheat: How we can increase yields of this staple crop despite rising temperatures
Wheat now provides 20% of the calories consumed by humans every day, but its production is under threat. Thanks to human-induced ...
New treatments for rare, inherited childhood diseases? CRISPR sheep help advance research
A flock of gene-edited sheep has been used by scientists to pinpoint a promising treatment for a lethal inherited brain ...
Crop gene editing reforms are not enough: Here’s why British scientists wants to overhaul outdated GMO regulations along with CRISPR embrace
On 24 July 2019, Boris Johnson stood outside 10 Downing Street and delivered his first speech as prime minister. Among ...
Out of Africa but not into Europe: Modern humans took a rocky path while settling the continent
Modern humans made several failed attempts to settle in Europe before eventually taking over the continent. This is the stark ...
As climate disruptions escalate, CRISPR gene editing could create animal breeds resistant to disease, droughts and heatwaves
“It is every bit as important that we use the enormous power of gene editing to create breeds of animals ...
Finding ‘invisible DNA’ floating in the air opens doors to detecting and protecting rare wildlife
DNA is in the air – literally. It is wafted around by all the Earth’s creatures, and now scientists have ...
Cave bears: Neanderthals may have survived harsh winters by hibernating
Evidence from bones found at one of the world’s most important fossil sites suggests that our hominid predecessors may have ...
Vaccines for COVID have been developed in record time. Here’s the story behind the miracle
[P]acked in dry ice were swabs from a patient who was suffering from a novel, occasionally fatal respiratory illness that ...
Startling discovery: Ancient mixed-race girl had Neanderthal and Denisovan parents
[T]ens of thousands of years ago, modern humans encountered Denisovans – and had sex with them. It is a startling ...
Rethinking confidentiality: Does a child have the right to know if a parent has the Huntington’s disease gene?
Lawyers are bringing a case against a London hospital trust that could trigger major changes to the rules governing patient ...
Was life on Earth ‘just a lucky accident’? Next Mars mission will drill for answers
American rocket engineers are being urged to push their next Mars mission to the limits of technological performance. Space scientists have ...
25 Genomes Project: Conserving British wildlife through genome sequencing
Crucially, every single [Carrington’s featherwort] plant found in this secluded Caledonian enclave is male. … But hope is at hand ...
Trellises not trees: Human populations have split, reformed and remixed over millennia
The ingrained notion – that there has only ever been one species of human being, Homo sapiens – is a latterday fiction ...
Plant scientists embrace USDA decision to not regulate gene-edited crops
Researchers in the US have been given the go-ahead to use gene-editing techniques to alter crops and plants. The decision ...
Alzheimer’s shock: DNA ancestry tests often tell customers more than they want to know
People who use genetic tests to trace their ancestry only to discover that they are at risk of succumbing to ...
What’s behind surge in male infertility? ‘We have no idea’
According to scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, sperm counts among men in the west have more than halved in ...
Gene therapy to cure sickle cell anemia in final stages of development
Scientists are finalizing plans to use gene therapy to treat one of the world’s most widespread inherited diseases – sickle ...
U.S. approves CRISPR mushroom, corn, but Britain unsure how it will regulate import
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. American regulators have allowed ...
Are gene-edited crops GMOs? EU’s decision will shape future of biotechnology revolution
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. . . . .In ...
Discoverers of ancient human Homo naledi fossils accused of rushing analysis
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. It remains one of ...
Man’s best friend also our closest evolutionary ally
Dogs are humanity’s oldest friends, renowned for their loyalty and abilities to guard, hunt and chase. But modern humans may ...
Families hope anti-genetic engineering groups don’t stop gene cure for mitochondria disease
Hopes of tackling mitochondrial disease will be raised in a few weeks when the government announces regulations that will permit ...
DNA hunter Svante Pääbo takes us back to our roots
DNA, the stuff from which our genes are made, decays the moment an organism dies. The long coils break down ...
IVF costs set to soar, scientists warn
Scientists have only a few weeks to block a patent that could have serious implications for couples seeking IVF treatments ...
Zebrafish may help identify functions of human genes
Sharing 70% of its genetic code with humans and reproducing at great rates, the diminutive zebrafish has become one of ...
