The Genetics of Allergies

For many people, sniffling, sneezing, and rubbing itchy eyes is a rite of spring. Pollen wafting through the air from budding trees, grasses, and flowers during spring triggers allergy attacks…

When it comes to her health, there is no bliss in ignorance for Kelly Anderson. “For me, I’ve always wanted to know. I’ve always wanted to know what’s happening or…

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month. It also marks the 12th anniversary of 23andMe’s groundbreaking Parkinson’s Research community, which is now the largest genetic research cohort for Parkinson’s disease in the…

It’s not a superpower, but the genetics behind being what some call a “supertaster” might make for a pretty good argument against eating your broccoli. Supertasters have the good fortune,…

Myriam Raber, a dentist in northeastern Ohio, is often mistaken for what she is not. “I let people label me sometimes,” Myriam said. “I go the hospital, and they look…

A new study by scientists at 23andMe, the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), and the University of Toronto offers insight into how the nuclear genome controls the emergence of mutations…

For many people, sniffling, sneezing, and rubbing itchy eyes is a rite of spring. Pollen wafting through the air from budding trees, grasses, and flowers during spring triggers allergy attacks…

When it comes to her health, there is no bliss in ignorance for Kelly Anderson. “For me, I’ve always wanted to know. I’ve always wanted to know what’s happening or…

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month. It also marks the 12th anniversary of 23andMe’s groundbreaking Parkinson’s Research community, which is now the largest genetic research cohort for Parkinson’s disease in the…

It’s not a superpower, but the genetics behind being what some call a “supertaster” might make for a pretty good argument against eating your broccoli. Supertasters have the good fortune,…

Myriam Raber, a dentist in northeastern Ohio, is often mistaken for what she is not. “I let people label me sometimes,” Myriam said. “I go the hospital, and they look…

A new study by scientists at 23andMe, the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), and the University of Toronto offers insight into how the nuclear genome controls the emergence of mutations…

When Mr. and Mrs. George Fry arrived in the New World nearly four centuries ago, they brought with them not just dreams of a better life, but a curse —…

People often talk about genes as if they were directly related to specific diseases, as in “the breast cancer gene” or “the gene for alcoholism.” But the fact of the…

A certain provider of personal genetic information is mentioned in Science magazine’s Breakthrough of the Year article, published in the Dec. 21 issue.The journal bestowed 2007 Breakthrough of the Year…

A few years back, archaeologist Anna Dhody was thinking about how amazing it is that DNA forensic scientists can collect DNA evidence from nothing more than a discarded cigarette butt…

At the end of last year (2007) you may have seen reports claiming that scientists in Israel discovered the “gene for altruism.”What they actually found was that a variation in…

Spit has DNA? Well, not exactly. Spit has cells in it, and the cells have DNA. For everything except bacteria (and some other types of single-celled organisms), DNA is wound…