A CRISPR Future
The power of genetic editing as a therapeutic strategy has long been appreciated, but the risk of unintended and unknown side effects has kept it… Read More »A CRISPR Future
Genetics
Ethicists Advocate Removing Forensic Tools from Biomedical Research
“I need to go check on my babies,” is a common statement among scientists. Unsuspecting onlookers may not realize that the scientists are, in fact,… Read More »Ethicists Advocate Removing Forensic Tools from Biomedical Research
With the Corn, Against the Grain
Lisa Learman, a Ph.D. candidate in cellular and molecular medicine, is among the winners of The Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation 2020 essay contest. Read her award-winning essay about scientist Barbara McClintock, whose approach to science inspired Learman to “embrace complexity and diverse perspectives in science to arrive at a more complete truth.”
Johns Hopkins has its very own “Loch Ness Hunter”
Ever wonder what science has to say about the Loch Ness monster? One JHU student uses her computational genomics skills to find some surprising results.
Genome Engineering Emerges from the Shadows
The fruits of modern molecular biology offer us a powerful tool that allows us to engineer the genetic code of virtually any organism. Early therapeutic applications could foreshadow an inflection point for the positioning of genome engineering in modern health care.
Things My Brother Sam Can’t Talk About
Photo credit: Kelly Valeri When my younger brother, Sam, was 14 years old, he went outside, stripped to his white, Fruit of the Loom underwear,… Read More »Things My Brother Sam Can’t Talk About
The Mity Genome
The Metro ride from Foggy Bottom to Bethesda took just about an hour door to door. Each morning, on my way to my first science… Read More »The Mity Genome
It’s Hard Work Being a Boy (and, It Turns Out, a Girl)
Basic biology tells us that in humans and other mammals, embryos with two X chromosomes develop as females, whereas embryos with one X and one… Read More »It’s Hard Work Being a Boy (and, It Turns Out, a Girl)
The Butterfly Effect: Wing Research Method Shows Promise
From the flower on your front porch to your cousin’s lower back tattoo, butterflies are one of the most immediately recognizable insects due to their… Read More »The Butterfly Effect: Wing Research Method Shows Promise
Gene Editing Under Fire
CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing is the hottest new technology being used by molecular biologists and geneticists around the world. The method, first developed in prokaryotes in… Read More »Gene Editing Under Fire