genetic engineering

Will Shindel prepares for a gene-editing class using the CRISPR tool at a Brooklyn community lab called Genspace.

How A Gene Editing Tool Went From Labs To A Middle-School Classroom

8:01am May 27, 2017

by Alan Yu

Some compare the democratization of personal computing in the 1970s to the current changes in access to genetic engineering tools, in part thanks to the CRISPR gene editing tool.

Emmanuelle Charpentier (left) and Jennifer Doudna have a case for being the inventors of CRISPR-cas9, a transformative tool for gene editing.

Scientists Battle In Court Over Lucrative Patents For Gene-Editing Tool

6:29pm December 05, 2016

by Richard Harris

A gene-editing technology called CRISPR-cas9 could be a gold mine for its inventors, but it's not clear who owns the idea. U.S. patent judges will soon hear oral arguments to decide the issue.

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GMO bacteria "swarmbots" are strictly constrained to their holding cell.

Science

Tales Of The Genetically Altered, Superhero Bacteria Swarmbot

3:00pm July 08, 2016

by Shawn Fitzmaurice

What is keeping a genetically altered super-villain bug from escaping Duke University's synthetic biology labs, and destroying humanity Holloywood-style?

A Duke University scientist has engineered genetically altered “swarmbots” that can only survive in a swarm of their own kind. And that's just the start of it all.

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Scientists have the ability to use DNA from three adults to make one embryo. But should they?

Babies With Genes From 3 People Could Be Ethical, Panel Says

6:44pm February 03, 2016

by Rob Stein

An independent federal panel says the experimental procedure needs to be proven safe, and even then should only be tried with male embryos because of concerns about passing down genetic errors.

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Powerful 'Gene Drive' Can Quickly Change An Entire Species

2:18pm November 05, 2015

by Rob Stein

A genetic engineering technique raises hopes for eliminating diseases, such as malaria. But it is also sparking fears of unintended consequences if delicately balanced ecosystems are disrupted.

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It's now possible to edit the DNA in a human embryo. The next question is, should we?

British Scientists Seek Permission To Edit DNA In Human Embryos

1:09pm September 18, 2015

by Rob Stein

After Chinese scientists announced in April that they had edited the genes in human embryos, many researchers said it shouldn't be done. Scientists in London say they want to do it for research only.

The skull of a chicken embryo (left) has a recognizable beak. But when scientists block the expression of two particular genes, the embryo develops a rounded "snout" (center) that looks something like an alligator's skull (right).

How Bird Beaks Got Their Start As Dinosaur Snouts

12:01pm May 13, 2015

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Hoping to help trace the history of how velociraptors evolved into birds, researchers at Harvard and Yale may have tracked a key beak transformation to two genes.

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Genetically modified wheat has been discovered growing in a field in Oregon. GMO wheat is not approved for sale in the U.S. Above, a wheat field in Arkansas.

GMO Wheat Found In Oregon Field. How Did It Get There?

2:03pm June 03, 2013

by Dan Charles

An Oregon farmer discovered genetically engineered wheat growing in his field. Nobody knows how it got there. GMO wheat is not approved for sale in the U.S.

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