The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine advisory group has long had a work group in place to review the latest COVID-19 vaccine science, including weighing the risks…
Category: Genetics
Brain Cells Behind Depression Identified
Summary: Researchers analyzing post-mortem brain tissue found two cell types altered in people with depression: excitatory neurons that regulate mood and stress, and microglia that manage inflammation. The findings highlight…
More than 12,500 pesticides need assessment or re-evaluation. Here is how EPA does its work
Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin has said he wants the federal agency to accelerate scientific safety evaluations of various chemicals, including pesticides. The EPA reportedly has more than 500 pending reviews of…
Can bacteria replace synthetic fertilizer?
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…
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…
