The rise of gene-edited embryos has raised a myriad of ethical questions. It involves altering DNA to prevent disease or even to choose specific traits using a method known as CRISPR. In 2018, Chinese ...

Humans have selectively bred animals and crops since the beginning of agriculture, but advances in biotechnology have provided genetic tools to select specific traits. First applied to animals in the ...

Hordes of feral cats terrorizing native species in Australia could be combatted using a special type of genetic engineering, scientists have suggested. The feral cats now number over six million, and ...

Thanks to great strides in fundamental research, biology is becoming ever more programmable. Two recent scientific advances show just how powerful the possibilities could be. The genetic modification ...

Spider silk—six times tougher than Kevlar and stronger than steel—has now been produced by an unexpected source. Spider silk is a biological protein fiber spun by spiders. Many of these fibers have ...

Some conservation groups are calling for an effective ban on genetic modification, but others say these technologies are ...

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