Bio & Life Sciences Community Insights
This month marks the 15th anniversary of the completion of the Human Genome Project. While the main goal of the project has not been fully realized, we are closer than ever to reaching it. Meredith Salisbury walks us through the ongoing benefits. More
The medical benefits of genomics go disproportionately to white people, while people of other ethnicities are more likely to receive inconclusive results because scientists don’t know enough about their genetic variation. We spoke with Malia Fullerton, a bioethicist and population genetics expert, about what can be done about it. More
Scientists are using genomics to reconstruct the evolutionary history of humans. These findings shed new light on our past, and also yield insights into related species, like the Neanderthals as well as other ancient hominids. At the recent Advances in Genome Biology and Technology conference, Meredith Salisbury reports on the results. More
Bio & Life Sciences Community Insights
A citizen scientist project allows dog owners to contribute to the understanding of canine genetics, shedding light on the genetics and evolution of many related species. Further scientific understanding of the habits of mountain lions are underway and critical to the development of the species. More
Bio & Life Sciences Healthcare Science
During the next two years, NHGRI will be using interactions with scientists and the public to take stock of the genomics field and where its funds can make the most difference. The landscape has shifted rapidly from the institute's early days, when it set the direction for much of the genomics community around the world. More
Bio & Life Sciences Innovation
Now is a unique time in the history of world healthcare. We can sequence faster, and we can sequence at a lower cost. Indian genomic data will unlock more of life’s source code to benefit everyone. More
Bio & Life Sciences Healthcare
It's still hard to know what to do about genetic news that's discovered about a patient during sequencing for another reason. A small percentage of such tests turn up disturbing findings. Some people want to know, some don't, but figuring out what to do often vexes doctors and researchers. Debate about how to handle this problem is growing within the genetics world. More
Bio & Life Sciences Healthcare
At the annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, Bill Gates told 7,000 geneticists that the world needs them to up the pace of innovation in order to solve our most pressing health challenges. Early childhood death, malaria, and pandemics are all dangers that may be mitigated by progress in this realm, he said, showing his characteristic optimism. More
The United States faces a biomedical funding crisis. The Trump administration has proposed budget cuts that would slash scientific research. Though Congress hasn't yet gone along, the fears that the process has generated are already causing tangible harm in the scientific community. Concern about cuts is stalling progress on drug discovery and other healthcare innovations. More
Bio & Life Sciences Community Insights Science
Elon Musk’s latest venture, the recently-launched startup Neuralink, aims to merge mind and machine using brain-computer interface technology. Some commentators are dismissing its vision as pure hype. But buzz matters—we need such hype for radical tech innovation. More
Bio & Life Sciences Healthcare
Unlike other tiny mammals, bats and mole-rats live especially long lives. Now scientists are starting to understand why. At a time when interest in longevity is massive and growing, their answers might point the way toward useful knowledge about how we ourselves could last a bit longer. More
Bio & Life Sciences Community Insights Healthcare
At IndieBio we see hundreds of biotech startups and technologies, and a few key themes are emerging for 2017. Fiction is becoming a reality with cell therapies. The era of the brain has arrived. And machine learning and AI are now a key part of biotech innovation. More
People are so opposed to GMOs that such food has often been banned, though studies find zero evidence it harms people. But paradoxically, when it comes to editing human genomes, many are eager to press forward. Yet here scientists themselves mostly call for caution, because little is known about long-term ramifications. More
Bio & Life Sciences Healthcare
Human Longevity Institute offers a $25,000 full-day full-body examination including genomic sequencing. It promises to uncover hidden health risks and enable potentially lifesaving interventions. The benefits, it says, are not just for you, but for society, as info is gathered about how our genome intersects with our health. The price is controversial, but co-founder Craig Venter is confident he's onto something big. More
Bio & Life Sciences Healthcare
Many countries in the Middle East see exciting opportunities in genomics. Yet they also face challenging questions about reconciling it with local moral and cultural traditions. At a meeting in Qatar global healthcare leaders debated guidelines for a region where, for example, more than 20% of marriages are between first cousins. More
Bio & Life Sciences Healthcare
People may have a "yuck response" when they hear about this new experimental technique for creating healthy babies. But it isn't as huge a leap from what we're used to as most reports would suggest, as Techonomy's genomics expert explains. Like a top medical source she quotes here, Salisbury will be continuing this conversation at Techonomy 2016 on November 10. More
Bio & Life Sciences Healthcare
In the last few years, the standard tests for fetal abnormalities have been largely replaced with new genetic tests. Since they launched, traditional procedures that confer a small risk of miscarriage have dropped by about 70 percent. Now we face a big ethical issue: these tests reveal much more about future diseases than those they replaced. What information should parents know, and what can and should they do about it? More
Bio & Life Sciences Healthcare
People who practice meditation know it resets the mind and body, and there have been claims about its healing powers for centuries. Now scientific evidence backs them up. Researchers recently found that meditation does more than just relieve stress. It can literally change our DNA. More
Bio & Life Sciences Healthcare Techonomy Events
The global biotech market is estimated to have a value of $604.40 billion by 2020. Techonomy program director Ross explains how central the theme is to us, and a bit of her own history of fascination with it. This year at TE16 we’re continuing this exploration into the industries being changed by life science, the technologies, the benefits and yes, the controversies. More
Bio & Life Sciences Healthcare
If artificial organs, miniature robots, and advanced medications could keep you healthy, would you want to live for hundreds of years? Author Eve Herold's new book "Beyond Human" argues that we might as well get used to these ideas, because they are inevitably coming. Reviewer Salisbury finds this an important overview of a rapidly-developing field of medical science, but is not yet ready to join the immortals herself. More
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