genome

Science

The dubious consent question at the heart of the Human Genome Project

3:01am July 15, 2024

The Human Genome Project was a massive undertaking that took more than a decade and billions of dollars to complete. For it, scientists collected DNA samples from anonymous volunteers who were told the final project would be a mosaic of DNA. Instead, over two-thirds of the DNA comes from one person: RP11. No one ever told him. Science journalist Ashley Smart talks to host Emily Kwong about his recent investigation into the decision to make RP11 the major donor — and why unearthing this history matters to genetics today.

Read Ashley's full article in Undark Magazine here.

Questions or ideas for future episodes? Email us at shortwave@npr.org.

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Science

A 3D reconstruction of the woolly mammoth genome might help revive the extinct species

10:36pm July 11, 2024

by Rob Stein

With a skin sample from a 52,000-year-old woolly mammoth, scientists are gaining new insights into what made the animals tick. The findings could also help controversial de-extinction efforts.

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Biophysicist He Jiankui addressed the last international summit on human genome editing in Hong Kong in 2018. His experiments in altering the genetic makeup of human embryos was widely condemned by scientists and ethicists at the time, and still casts a long shadow over this week's summit in London.

Experts weigh medical advances in gene-editing with ethical dilemmas

3:12pm March 06, 2023

by Rob Stein

The last time this summit convened in 2018, the world was shocked to hear a scientist had created the first gene-edited babies. He was condemned, but gene-editing has continued, with some success.

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The newly sequenced Canada lynx genome has already offered hints of how the North American wildcat might adapt — or not — to climate change, researchers say.

25 Down And 71,632 To Go: Scientists Seek Genomes Of All Critters With A Backbone

4:46pm April 28, 2021

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Biologists say newly efficient and accurate gene sequencing techniques have allowed them to fairly quickly detail full genomes and find overlooked genes in a broad range of 25 important species.

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Internationally, scientists now have on file the genomes of more than 47,000 different samples of the virus that causes COVID-19 — up from just one in January. Here's a transmission electron micrograph of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles (orange) isolated fro

This Coronavirus Doesn't Change Quickly, And That's Good News For Vaccine Makers

5:00am June 26, 2020

by Jon Hamilton

A coronavirus vaccine could become ineffective if the virus were to undergo certain genetic changes. But so far, so good: Scientists see no evidence that's happening.

UK Biobank, based in Manchester, England, is the largest blood-based research project in the world. The research project will involve at least 500,000 people across the U.K., and follow their health for next 30 years or more, providing a resource for scie

UK Biobank Requires Earth's Geneticists To Cooperate, Not Compete

8:19am August 31, 2019

by Richard Harris

A project that shares medical information from 500,000 volunteers is driving innovative research around the world. The richness of the database means scientists are motivated to make it even better.

"Everything is private information, stored on your computer or a computer you designate," says George Church, genetics professor at Harvard Medical School, about the approach of Nebula Genomics.

Startup Offers To Sequence Your Genome Free Of Charge, Then Let You Profit From It

2:06pm November 15, 2018

by Richard Harris

A full genome sequence costs about $1,000. But Nebula Genomics expects that companies and researchers would defray the cost in exchange for key medical information about the person involved.

DNA isolated from a small sample of saliva or blood can yield information, fairly inexpensively, about a person's relative risk of developing dozens of diseases or medical conditions.

Routine DNA Screening Moves Into Primary Care

2:31pm May 22, 2018

by Michelle Andrews

The Pennsylvania-based health care chain Geisinger Health System plans to soon offer DNA sequencing as part of routine care for all patients. Is there a downside?

Volunteer Greg Ruegsegger is outfitted with monitors, a catheter threaded into a vein and a mask to capture his breath in an experiment run by Joyner to measure human performance.

Will Gathering Vast Troves of Information Really Lead To Better Health?

6:05pm December 28, 2017

by Richard Harris

Hundreds of millions of dollars are pouring into research labs in an effort to collect genetic information on a million people. But some skeptics say the focus should be on humans themselves, not DNA.

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Doctors are studying whether sequencing a newborn's genome has any impact on the child's future health.

Would You Want To Know The Secrets Hidden In Your Baby's Genes?

3:55pm October 31, 2016

by Mary Harris

A study offering the parents of newborns a scan of thousands of the baby's genes raises a big question: Do you want this kind of information on disease risk in your child's permanent record?

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