Summary: A large-scale genetic study involving over 1 million participants has uncovered more than 100 genes associated with anxiety. Researchers found that these genes contribute to the development of anxiety…
Category: Genetics
Organic or conventional farming? Which system better preserves our fragile insect population
Athree-year run of fragmentary Armageddon-like studies had primed the journalism pumps and settled the media framing about the future of the global insect population: modern agriculture was steering us toward…
Viewpoint: Consumers Report bungles science, promotes another food scare—No, Lunchables will not give your kids cancer
developing, are more vulnerable to lead exposure than adults. However, most of the risk to children is not from food but from ingesting chips from lead-based paint used before 1978…
The bigger the animal, the bigger its brain? Not so fast
Scientists have long believed that, generally speaking, the bigger an animal is, the bigger its brain. But our recent study challenges the nature of that linear view and reveals new insights…
Nutritional epigenetics: How life events can shape your genes and their impact on diet and health
Within the last century, researchers’ understanding of genetics has undergone a profound transformation. Genes, regions of DNA that are largely responsible for our physical characteristics, were considered unchanging under the original…
Biopiracy? Are pharmaceutical companies stealing the genetic information in the developing world’s flora and fauna?
Low-income countries – where much of the world’s biodiversity remains – hope it could funnel billions into conserving the rainforests, lakes and oceans where such organisms live. Examples of what…
Neurodevelopmental Disruptions Behind Schizophrenia Cognitive Deficits
Summary: A recent review of genetic and population studies reveals that premorbid cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, such as lower IQ, are largely due to neurodevelopmental disruptions rather than inherited genetic…
5% of the population claim near-death experiences: Psychedelics may be a way to understand what happens in our brain
One person felt a sensation of “slowly floating into the air” as images flashed around. Another recalled “the most profound sense of love and peace,” unlike anything experienced before. Consciousness…
RNA Therapy Improves Memory and Reduces Anxiety
Summary: An RNA-based therapy, COG-201, can enhance memory and reduce anxiety in animal models by targeting the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. Scientists found that decreasing this receptor’s expression led to improved…
