Synthetic fertilizer is a modern wonder, helping to feed billions of people, but it’s not without its costs. Fertilizer runoff from farm fields has led to dead zones in oceans around the…
Category: Genetics
Disease is the greatest threat to bee health. Can genetically engineered probiotics help protect them?
If you cannot engineer the organism, engineer its microbiome. Since scientists began exploring how to solve problems using synthetic biology, by focusing on microbial symbionts, a whole universe of possibilities…
GLP podcast: ‘Hyperreality.’ How the digital world severs our connection to truth
Endless social media feeds, 24-hour news cycles, and AI-driven search engines have empowered us to curate the content we consume and even the people we interact with. It’s an unprecedented…
Eight New Genes Linked to Schizophrenia Revealed
Summary: The largest exome-sequencing study of schizophrenia to date has uncovered eight new genes tied to the disorder. Two genes, STAG1 and ZNF136, were strongly implicated, while six others showed…
Viewpoint: The Catholic Church’s new guidelines on AI fail to account for the overlap of evolution and technology
While the Vatican acknowledges stages of technological development, it lacks a model of integrating science and religion that can adequately assess the influence of technology. The Vatican’s approach, while ethically…
Bipolar Mood Shifts Linked to Insulin Signaling in the Pancreas
Summary: A new study uncovers a pancreas–hippocampus feedback loop that may help explain mood swings in bipolar disorder. Using patient-derived pancreatic islets, researchers found reduced insulin secretion linked to elevated…
GLP spaces on X: Climate change and meat. Separating fact from hype
Red meat is often scapegoated as a major villain in the popular story about our global efforts to prevent a runaway climate crisis. Uncritically amplifying this narrative, the media treats…
Viewpoint: GMOs could improve global food and farm yields by more than 20%
In recent years, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have become one of the most pivotal agricultural innovations, profoundly transforming the way food is produced and managed worldwide. With global populations on the rise and climate change introducing unprecedented challenges to farming and food security, the benefits of GMOs in agriculture are more significant than ever. … One of the most…
Viewpoint: NGO deception III—Opportunistic activists promote expensive and unrealistic ‘cures’ to fake sustainability crises
The ‘Filthy Fifteen’ exposes the worst ‘environmental and health ‘fear profiteers’ and campaigns—from activist ideologues to corporate opportunists—who knowingly spread misinformation to manipulate the public. Whether driven by zealotry or…
This snail may hold a secret to human eye regeneration
A snail may hold the key to restoring vision for people with some eye diseases. Golden apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata) are freshwater snails from South America. Alice Accorsi became familiar…
