You shed DNA everywhere you go – trace samples in the water, sand and air are enough to identify who you are, raising ethical questions about privacy
Environmental DNA provides a wealth of information for conservationists, archaeologists and forensic scientists. But the unintentional pickup of human genetic information raises ethical questions.
Jessica Alice Farrell, Postdoctoral associate, University of Florida •
conversation
May 15, 2023 • ~8 min
May 15, 2023 • ~8 min
Clothes moths: Why I admire these persistent, destructive, difficult-to-eradicate and dull-looking pests
An appreciation for the moths that chomp holes in your clothes. They eat the inedible, occupy the uninhabitable and overcome every evolutionary obstacle in their way.
Isabel Novick, Doctoral Candidate in Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, Boston University •
conversation
May 8, 2023 • ~9 min
May 8, 2023 • ~9 min
Reconstructing ancient bacterial genomes can revive previously unknown molecules – offering a potential source for new antibiotics
Ancient microbes likely produced natural products their descendants today do not. Tapping into this lost chemical diversity could offer a potential source of new drugs.
Pierre Stallforth, Professor of Bioorganic Chemistry and Paleobiotechnology, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
• conversation
May 4, 2023 • ~9 min
May 4, 2023 • ~9 min
DNA study sheds light on Scotland's Picts, and resolves some myths about them
The genetic study challenges previous theories about the origins and culture of the Picts.
Adeline Morez, Post-doctorate researcher, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, visiting lecturer, Liverpool John Moores University •
conversation
May 2, 2023 • ~8 min
May 2, 2023 • ~8 min
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