Genetics
Analysis and insight on the advancements in genetics. Stay updated as Singularity Hub discusses the most important trends in genetics research.
Gene Editing in Human Embryos Leaps Forward—Here’s the Science
Imagine walking down the street with a ticking time bomb in your chest, never knowing when your heart may explode.
Or going through five decades of life, having kids, and always wondering when your mind...
Biocomputers Made From Cells Can Now Handle More Complex Logic
When it comes to biomolecules, RNA doesn’t get a lot of love.
Maybe you haven’t even heard of the silent workhorse. RNA is the cell’s de facto translator: like a game of telephone, RNA takes...
3 Exponentials to Watch | Future of Everything With Jason Silva (Part 3)
In the third of Singularity University's Future of Everything YouTube series with Jason Silva, Silva discusses "The Big Three" exponential technologies, which he defines as GNR: genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics.
"If I were to be talking...
The Era of Human Gene Editing Is Here—What Happens Next Is Critical
Scientists in Portland, Ore., just succeeded in creating the first genetically modified human embryo in the United States, according to Technology Review. A team led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov of Oregon Health & Science University is reported to “have...
New Film ‘Food Evolution’ Takes on One of the Most Polarizing Scientific Topics
One Tuesday morning, as his family bustled around the house getting ready for the day, Scott Hamilton Kennedy’s phone lit up with a text message from his neighbor. “Can I borrow some organic milk?”...
A Living Hard Drive: This GIF Was Stored in the DNA of Bacteria
DNA is a hugely promising medium for storing data. Consider that a cell nucleus can hold the instructions for an organism as complex as a human. So far efforts to store non-genetic data in...
‘Biological Teleportation’ Edges Closer With Craig Venter’s Digital-to-Biological Converter
The year is 2030. In a high-security containment lab, scientists gathered around a towering machine, eagerly awaiting the first look at a newly discovered bacterium on Mars.
With a series of beeps, the machine—a digital-to-biological...
Is the Brain Augmentation Hype Justified? Here’s an Expert’s Take
Despite bold predictions from several tech firms about the future of neural interfaces, the science of brain augmentation is still in the early days. So, what do academics think of all the hype coming...
Bizarre Mini Brains Offer a Fascinating New Look at the Brain
Brain balls sound like something straight out of a Tim Burton movie: starting as stem cells harvested from patients, they eventually develop into masses of living neurons, jumbled together in misshapen blobs.
Just like the...
These Cells Are Engineered to Be Controlled by a Smartphone
To Dr. Mark Gomelsky, a professor at the University of Wyoming, genetically engineered therapeutic cells are like troops on a mission.
The first act is training. Using genetic editing tools such as CRISPR, scientists can...
CRISPR Pill May Be Key in Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance
Even since Alexander Fleming stumbled across penicillin—the first antibiotic drug—scientists knew our fight with evolution was on.
Most antibiotics work by blocking biological processes that allow bacteria to thrive and multiply. With prolonged, low-dosage use,...
Gene Editing Might Change What Being Human Actually Means
Attempts to distill the essence of “selfhood” have occupied philosophers for centuries. Consensus has been fleeting at best, but is likely to get even harder as genetic tools allow us to tweak our bodies...
