DNA

The darker side of DNA tests reveals itself when a company overpromises their diagnostic abilities, providing an avenue for people to seek astrology-style answers to questions that should be addressed by medical experts.

The Department of Homeland Security will use the tests to identify what it calls fraudulent families. But advocates say the plan raises privacy concerns.

The use of genetic information collected by private companies in criminal investigations raises a number of issues about transparency and privacy.

If it's true we're on the verge of a sixth extinction, these smaller collections offer crucial perspectives—and specimens—that bigger museums simply can't provide.

A Chinese scientist who engineered the first gene-edited babies may now face serious charges for fraudulent practices.

The science does not support the idea that we can alter a child's DNA to ensure certain health and intelligence outcomes.

So far, attempts to optimize our diets based on our DNA have not panned out.

A research team in Canada has tested the use of environmental DNA to ease the process of identifying and surveying aquatic plants.

The Joseph DeAngelo case has raised concerns about the privacy of data produced by consumer genetic tests. But really, law enforcement should be using DNA evidence more often.

It's become too late to ask whether or not we should edit the human germline; we can now only ask how the experiments will proceed.

Researchers in Tokyo discovered a strain of herpes contained in a "jumping gene" found in fish and humans—the implications are still unknown.

Fish can change their DNA in response to contamination, but it's still unclear how our bodies cope with the issue.

Advances in DNA profiling bring up some interesting questions.

Widespread sexual exploitation before the Civil War strongly influenced the genetic make-up of essentially all African Americans alive today.

Can genetic tests restore lost legacies?

The federal privacy law known as HIPAA doesn’t cover home paternity tests, fitness trackers, or health apps. When a Florida woman complained after seeing the paternity test results of thousands of people online, federal regulators told her they didn’t have jurisdiction.

We all carry genetic mutations, and new studies are revealing their impact.

As a new non-invasive technology makes prenatal genetic tests more common, many more pregnant women will have to choose whether or not to have a disabled child.

We're definitely distinct, but not too different.

For roughly 30 years the FBI has virtually ignored a system meant to help cops track the behavioral patterns of violent criminals.

A study finds a new link between mutations and intellectual disability, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore non-genetic factors.

Basic research can seem wasteful, but politicians should resist the temptation to set science’s priorities.

A recent study on the reliability of hair analysis is only the latest to shake public confidence.

Researchers are finding many genes unique to our species, but so far they reveal little about our most human traits.