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public health, genetics & genomics

Virus Provides Clues About Geography
Amanda B. Keener | Nov 18, 2016 | 2 min read
Researchers use genotypes of a virus commonly found in semen to trace men’s geographic origins.
Mutation vs. Mutation
Kerry Grens | Nov 3, 2016 | 1 min read
Yeast study finds many instances—often among related genes—in which a mutation in one gene cancels the negative effects of a mutation in another.
Common STD May Have Come from Neanderthals
Bob Grant | Oct 19, 2016 | 1 min read
Cross-species trysts likely spread human papillomavirus (HPV) to Homo sapiens, according to new research.
Promiscuous Mice Have Extra-Fast Sperm
Jef Akst | Oct 18, 2016 | 1 min read
The tails of polygamous deer mice sperm have longer midsections than the sperm tails of monogamous individuals of a similar species, and this correlates with improved swimming and competitive ability.
In Southern Africa, Human Genetics Tied to Environment
Jef Akst | Sep 7, 2016 | 1 min read
Ancestries of nearly two dozen indigenous groups in the region reveal a close link between the genetic clustering of populations and the Kalahari Desert’s ecogeography.
Zika Update
Bob Grant | Sep 7, 2016 | 2 min read
Virus’s genome to aid in diagnoses; bees caught in crossfire of mosquito sprays; Zika spreads in Asia; US Congress revisits Zika funding
Opinion: GMOs Are Not “Frankenfoods”
Dov Greenbaum and Mark Gerstein | Aug 30, 2016 | 3 min read
It behooves the scientific community to reflect on the public’s “Franken-” characterization of genetically modified foods.
Moving Toward Personalized Autism Treatment
Megan Scudellari | Jul 31, 2016 | 1 min read
Researchers aim to leverage new insights into the underlying causes of the disorder to better help patients. 
Wolf Species Are Part Coyote
Alison F. Takemura | Jul 28, 2016 | 2 min read
Genomic analysis reveals wolves and coyotes have hybridized, potentially complicating wolves' protection under the US Endangered Species Act.
Metabolic Syndrome, Research, and Race
Anthony Ryan Hatch | Jul 1, 2016 | 3 min read
Scientists who study the lifestyle disorder must do a better job of incorporating political and social science into their work.
Study: Farming Arose Twice in the Ancient Middle East
Bob Grant | Jun 21, 2016 | 1 min read
Ancient DNA research suggests that there were two independent agricultural revolutions more than 10,000 years ago.
Questions Over C. elegans Life Span Factors
Catherine Offord | Jun 1, 2016 | 2 min read
A recent paper challenges earlier findings that germline factors expressed in normal body cells influence life span in C. elegans.
Sense and Sensibility
Ruth Williams | Apr 30, 2016 | 1 min read
Tailored combinations of a reporter and a ligand-binding domain allow for sensing just about any molecule of interest.
Dragonfly is World-Record Flier
Bob Grant | Mar 3, 2016 | 1 min read
Researchers have determined that a diminutive insect out-flies all other winged migrators by traveling thousands of miles between continents and across oceans yearly.
Widespread Plant Immune Tactics
Jef Akst | Feb 22, 2016 | 2 min read
A survey of plant genomes reveals how different species trick pathogens into triggering their immune defenses.
Another Lyme Disease–Causing Bacterium Found
Tracy Vence | Feb 9, 2016 | 1 min read
Scientists discover another species of Borrelia in the U.S.
Disease-Linked Genes Questioned
Jef Akst | Jan 6, 2016 | 2 min read
Many patients with genetic variations linked to cardiac disorders do not exhibit any symptoms, raising concerns about the validity of incidental findings of genetic tests.
Drug Produced in GM Chicken Approved
Jef Akst | Dec 10, 2015 | 1 min read
The US Food and Drug Administration greenlights a rare-disease drug that is produced in the eggs of genetically modified chickens.
Three Origins for Rice?
Karen Zusi | Nov 3, 2015 | 2 min read
Rice was domesticated three separate times across Asia, a new study suggests.
Following FDA OK, 23andMe to Expand Health Prediction
Kerry Grens | Oct 21, 2015 | 2 min read
The personal genomics firm is ramping up its suite of disease-related genetic tests.
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