What’s been up the past week in terms of news in the stem cell world? The Wall Street Journal reports that the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) has signed a 20-year lease on a much larger space, in fact twice the current size, in Manhattan. That would seem to be a great sign of …
Stem Cell News Briefs: NYSCF, Sleep & Transplants, NFL legends, & More Read More »
Who will be speaking at the upcoming National Academy of Sciences (NAS) meeting on human gene editing? So far we haven’t known, but now we do (if you are eager to find out, skip to bottom of the post). The organizers of the meeting can be found here. Keep in mind that it is probable that …
List of Speakers for NAS Meeting on Human Gene Editing Read More »
One of our family traditions is kind of science oriented as I take my kids out to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower in August almost every year. While the number of meteors visible varies from year to year, the Perseids are consistent enough to make it a great experience. Meteor showers happen when the Earth’s …
CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology is red-hot right now and I’ve been doing interviews with various thought leaders on it, which today includes Steven Pinker. This technology has great power for research in the lab and there are hypothetical transformative clinical applications of CRISPR too. The latter efforts could include experimental attempts at reversal of disease-causing …
Steven Pinker interview: case against bioethocrats & CRISPR germline ban Read More »
ISSCR Chat By Michael Cea Jeanne Loring of the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California kindly sat down with me at the ISSCR annual meeting for a broad discussion of her history, views on the field and developments in the science. I found Jeanne a refreshing character, as I did a number of others I was …
Michael Cea ISSCR chat with Jeanne Loring on stem cell field Read More »
In my continuing series of conversations with thought leaders related to heritable human modification, today’s post is an interview with Natasha Vita-More, a pioneer in the transhumanism movement and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Humanity+ (H+), the global transhumanist organization. Where do you see transhumanism today? Has it changed over the years? What …
Global transhumanism leader Natasha Vita-More on human germline modification Read More »
The path to the clinic is a slow and arduous activity, frustrating not only to the researcher and patient, but investors and biotech companies. Successful clinical translation of technologies requires a balance of science, streamlined translation and funding. To develop fantastic science and then realise the most important components cannot be adapted to the clinical …
Biotech Talks #ISSCR2015: StemCells Inc, Semma, ViaCyte, & Le Blanc Read More »
The day of plenary is the most enjoyable in my view including at ISSCR 2015 on the first day with a Yamanaka talk. You don’t need to make the choice between sessions and the judgement on the viability of shifting sessions versus staying put and listening to the slightly less relevant. ISSCR 2015 plenary was, …
Overview of Yamanaka Talk at #ISSCR2015 by Heather Main Read More »
Heritable human genetic modification has been the topic of the year so far, but another trend is edgy and interesting: non-heritable, but cutting edge forms of human modification that in some ways fall into the class of biohacking. Biohackers are into do-it-yourself (DIY) forms of biology including self-modification. Sure, people have been modifying themselves for …
A decade ago I wrote an article in the journal Nature Biotechnology about the rise of a new gene editing technology called zinc finger nucleases (ZNF). It was one of those “drumbeat” discoveries: at the time, my sense was it would revolutionize how we deliver genes to cells and tissues, and profoundly change the way …
Guest Post by Chris Scott–The Great CRISPR Controversy: What’s Next? Read More »