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New method of locating and targeting mutations promises “letter by letter” genome editing

A new method of identifying the exceedingly rare and difficult-to-pinpoint mutations in the human genome gives researchers unprecedented ability to ...
Rose scented trees? Genetic modification could create safe chemical factories

Rose scented trees? Genetic modification could create safe chemical factories

Sandi Doughton | 
A Washington State University project aims to turn poplars into factories for premium chemicals like 2-phenylethanol, which is what gives ...
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Preparing for the inevitable: DNA tests for newborns

Anne Eisenberg | 
Today, parents don't need to deal with the knowledge of genetic pitfalls that might lie ahead for their offspring. But ...
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Emerging tools for synthetic biology in plants

Holger Puchta, Ian Small | 
Despite the serious complexity of multicelluar organisms, synthetic biology in plants has been progressing rapidly. This editorial examines the way ...
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The cross-species merger that made life as we know it possible

Ed Yong | 
The transition from the classic prokaryotic, nucleus-free model to the deluxe eukaryotic one is arguably the most important event in ...
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Acid bath stem cell method may work for human cells

Helen Thomson | 
Scientists may have used the newly-discovered environmental stress method for inducing pluripotency in human cells. This could change everything ...
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What’s it really like to work in biotech?

Lisa Belmont | 
The life of a scientist in biotechnology is demanding, but there's a good chance that you could positively impact human ...
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Brain science pioneer shifts focus of NIMH to basic neuroscience and genetics

Benedict Carey | 
Drain science pioneer Dr. Thomas R. Insel, now director of the National Institute of Mental Health, has sharply shifted the ...
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Smartphone game seeks to cure cancer

Kate Kelland | 
Crowd-sourcing and video games come together in the fight against cancer as researchers release a game which will allow smartphone ...
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FDA should allow 23andMe to carry on

Charles Johnson | 
23andMe's genetic testing health results help people take ownership of their health and prompt them to make lifestyle adjustments (not ...
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Genetic screening of embryos thwarts disease and creates ethical questions

Gina Kolata | 
Screening embryos for IVF lets parents avoid passing on deadly genetic diseases. But selecting according to gender or disease risk ...
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Synthetic biology companies shift to making food additives and fragrances

Erika Check Hayden | 
The synthetic biology industry is looking to expand into creating food additives and fragrances, which could be very lucrative but ...
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What is a ‘healthy’ microbiome?

Ed Yong | 
A group of culturally isolated villagers in the Amazon may hold the key to showing us what a healthy microbiome, ...
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Acid bath turns adult cells into stem cells

David Cyranoski | 
Japanese researchers report transforming adult cells into a flexible, embryonic state via a surprisingly simple method of exposing the cells ...
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British biotech company focuses on creating cellular factories

James Bevan | 
Imagine bacteria that eats pollution in water or can recycle gold from electronics -- the scope of synthetic biology is ...
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Finding more disease genes, faster

Ed Yong | 
Researchers string together disease genes to create networks that help explain the interactions between the genes, and, better yet, find ...
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Genetics gives hope of species-specific pesticides, minimal collateral damage

Kenrick Vezina | 
Imagine a future in which we no longer use pesticides. Instead, we use weevilicides or rootwormicides, targeted with exquisite precision ...
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One-fifth of Neanderthal genome persists in modern human genome

Evan Callaway | 
By piecing together the fragments of Neanderthal DNA in the modern genome, researchers found that the stocky hunter-gatherers gave us ...
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Ancient bacterial DNA suggest black death might not be gone for good

Steve Connor | 
DNA analysis of the bacteria strains behind two black plague pandemics emerged, independently, from the black rat. That means another ...
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Old brains may be slow, but still smart

Susan Brink | 
Modern memory tests are selling old brains short. It could be that older, wiser heads are so chock full of ...
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Surprise: Ancient europeans had dark skin and blue eyes

Dan Vergano | 
Ancient Europeans may have been dark-skinned and blue-eyed (a combination rarely found in modern times) according to DNA from a ...
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The complex and confusing genetics of schizophrenia

Annabel Bligh | 
Schizophrenia is even more complex than already believed, with rare gene mutations contributing to the disorder. In two studies published ...
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Direct-to-consumer genetic testing just not ready for prime time

Pete Shanks | 
Stories keep coming in from people who signed up for genetic testing and received strange, conflicting, or just plain wrong ...
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Overclocking your brain? Be careful

Christian Jarrett | 
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) head-sets send electrical currents straight through your skull and into your brain, but do they ...
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Extinguishing the memory of fear, with a drug that changes the epigenome

Virginia Hughes | 
A new drug changes the chemical markers that attach to DNA, making it possible to treat even old traumatic memories ...
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Truths and myths about left-brain, right-brain functions

Michael C. Corballis | 
Handedness and brain asymmetry are widely regarded as unique to humans, and associated with left-brain and right-brain functions. But which ...
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Deciphering the mysterious X chromosome

Carl Zimmer | 
The X chromosome is part of the system that determines gender. Yet, despite its significance in human life, the X ...
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