The stem cell arena is a complicated universe with a whole range of things going on at any one time and there’s usually ample negative things, but not all is bad news. It’s interesting to regularly look specifically at the good stem cell news out there. Below is a look at some top pieces of […]
Stem cell good news to start 2016 Read More »
Editor’s note: this is a guest post on the US stem cell environment. By Heather Main I moved to the San Diego from Australia in August 2015, and Paul asked me if I could write something on my first impressions of doing science in the US, as opposed to other countries I have worked/studied in
First impressions of the US stem cell environment from an Aussie Read More »
The New York Times recently asked 6 people what sci-fi movie or novel is most prescient today; in my view it’s GATTACA. The responses ran the gamut: Fahrenheit 451, The Martian, The Fifth Season, The Body Snatchers, Book of the New Sun, and Use of Weapons. To me of those 6, the best case can
NYT asks which sci-fi work is most prescient today: I think GATTACA Read More »
What were the top 10 stem cell stories of the year? What were the biggest news and science headlines in the stem cell field in 2015, whether good or bad? Below are mine. What are your top 10 stem cell stories of the past year? Let us know in the comments. Organoids explode. Stem cell-based
Key stem cell stories of the year 2015 Read More »
CRISPR is the hottest new biotechnology and the top development of 2015 according to Science Magazine. What will the new year of 2016 bring on the CRISPR front? It’s clear there will be more meetings on CRISPR ethics and policy (heck, we are having one right here at UC Davis on May 26), but what
CRISPR predictions for New Year of 2016 Read More »
GOP members of Congress want a ban on CRISPR of human embryos. They are moving to block genetic modification of human embryos using the new CRISPR gene editing technology. The new proposed spending bill part way through the approval process with the nugget of good news of a possible NIH spending boost after many years
GOP Congress seeks ban on CRISPR of human embryos Read More »
What’s it like to give a TED talk and could there be designer babies in your future as a parent? On Halloween I gave a TEDxVienna talk (click above) on giving consideration to the possibility that we may be headed toward a new reality in the next 15 years in which there are designer babies.
What if I could make designer babies for you? My TED talk Read More »
I just got back from a historic summit on human genetic modification in Washington, D.C. New genetic modification technology, termed CRISPR-Cas9, has both made genetic modification a relatively simple matter for scientists and human genetic modification much more likely in the near future. Heritable human genetic modification could prevent some rare genetic diseases so there
I’ve written extensively about the potential use of CRISPR in humans, including in particular in the germline where it would lead to heritable genetic modifications. Research using CRISPR in human embryos strictly for research purposes (not reproduction) is proceeding and in the case of non-viable embryos, such work has already been published (e.g. here), but
Human CRISPR TED talk Read More »
A recent piece on CRISPR genetic modification in the New Yorker called The Gene Hackers or Human 2.0 by Michael Specter is striking in a number of ways. I highly recommend it. The article provides an in-depth look at CRISPR and its potential use for human editing. I like how the article brings so many
Haunting Doudna nightmare about Hitler wanting CRISPR Read More »