Author: Lala Trute

CRISPR (see the video with a simple explanation at bottom of post) has become one of the most essential tools to do genome engineering used by biologists for deleting, replacing or otherwise editing DNA.  The CRISPR system utilizes a modified bacterial protein and a RNA that guides it to a specific DNA sequence with peerless control over genes in humans and many other species.  Researchers in Portland Oregon led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov of Oregon Health and Science University, are the latest to announce they have shown they can favorably modify the DNA of human embryos using CRISPR.  Their research recently published...

The majority of us that know we are going to spend some time in the sun, break out the plastic tubes and slather on some sunscreen.  Many of these products have chemicals like avobenzone, oxybenzone or octinoxate, or the physical barrier sunscreen like zinc oxide that can be harmful because when exposed to the sun’s radiation they produce free radicals that damage skin cells and potentially could cause cancer.  Of course going without sunscreen is much riskier as the ultra violet rays are recognized by the FDA as a known carcinogen.  But now scientists at Binghamton University, State University of New York...