The Embarrassing, Destructive Fight over Biotech's Big Breakthrough
The gene-editing technology known as CRISPR has spawned an increasingly unseemly brawl over who will reap the rewards
Stories by Stephen S. Hall
The First Tinkering with Human Heredity May Happen in the Infertility Clinic
Scientists are on the threshold of crossing a sharp ethical line: permanently altering the human genetic code
The First Tinkering with Human Heredity May Happen in the Infertility Clinic
Scientists are set to cross a long-standing bioethical red line
New Gene-Editing Techniques Could Transform Food Crops--or Die on the Vine
A powerful new gene-editing tool is sweeping agriculture. It could transform the debate over genetic modification
Hidden Treasures in Junk DNA
What was once known as junk DNA turns out to hold hidden treasures, says computational biologist Ewan Birney
Diseases in a Dish: Stem Cells for Drug Discovery
A creative use of stem cells made from adult tissues may hasten drug development for debilitating diseases
Revolution Postponed: Why the Human Genome Project Has Been Disappointing
The Human Genome Project has failed so far to produce the medical miracles that scientists promised. Biologists are now divided over what, if anything, went wrong—and what needs to happen next
The Quest for a Smart Pill
New drugs to improve memory and cognitive performance in impaired individuals are under intensive study. Their possible use in healthy people already triggers debate
