New genetic studies claim to be able to foretell our intelligence or predisposition to certain diseases. But two scientists beg to disagree, reminding us that not everything is written in our DNA.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on DNA testing
Displaying 1 - 20 of 36 articles
Some versions that were permitted in 2017 don’t have the fragrance that we know and love.
Commercial tests often provide inconsistent results. Here are six questions to ask yourself before you pay for one.
Modern DNA sampling is shockingly sensitive – you can get someone’s profile from just 80 cells.
Taking a DNA test kit sounds like harmless fun but some people end up getting more than they bargained for.
Both Macron and Madonna have expressed concerns about genetic privacy. As DNA collection and sequencing becomes increasingly commonplace, what may seem paranoid may instead be prescient.
The South African Khoe-San communities are no strangers to exploitative research. One research team is trying to provide genetic ancestry results to community members. But they still face many challenges.
Many people are filing lawsuits after discovering that sperm banks failed to verify information from donors about their medical and personal backgrounds.
My family is Mauritian, but when I take a DNA test, Mauritian didn’t even rank as an ethnicity. It can’t. Everyone from Mauritius is from somewhere else, or from many places at the same time.
This Netflix series imagines we all have a DNA-compatible soulmate waiting for us. But while there are companies in the real world matchmaking via DNA, love is more complex than that.
Scientists who work in local companies have acquired local knowledge and are therefore able to work with South Africa’s unique genetic diversity better than anyone else.
Research on the genetic basis of mental illness has so far largely excluded anyone who is not of European heritage.
Information collected from DNA samples can be used to identify species, track their movements and diagnose genetic diseases. This information is useful in conservation and management projects.
When DNA databases and behavioural genetics combine, your family’s genes could play a role in criminal sentencing
Can the new owner of GEDmatch ,a genealogy database preserve its original purpose while allowing a seamless service to law enforcement?
Genetic apps claim to reveal fundamental insights about your health, well-being, and even intellect. But it’s not just spurious science - believing these traits are genetic can have harmful consequences.
A US judge has allowed police access to the major DNA database without users’ consent (including Australian users). It’s a timely reminder that we urgently need genetic privacy legislation.
DNA testing gives limited information about whether people are likely to be related. But even if we overcame the many practical and legal hurdles to implementing it, what’s the point?
We asked five experts if DNA testing was worthwhile. Four out of five said yes.
Most common chronic diseases are the outcome of complex interactions between genetic, environmental and social risk factors, so a genetic risk score, on its own, isn’t much help.
Top contributors
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Senior Lecturer in Law, Science and Technology, The University of Queensland
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Ethical, Legal & Social Adviser - Public Health Genomics, Monash University
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Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University
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Director of Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute
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Visiting Professor in Biomedical Ethics, Murdoch Children's Research Institute; Distinguished Visiting Professor in Law, University of Melbourne; Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics, University of Oxford
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Senior Lecturer, Literature and Gender Studies, Victoria University
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Professor in Medical Sciences, Deakin University
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Assistant Professor in Human Genetics, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
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Research Professor of Epidemiology, Emory University
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Director, Queensland Bioethics Centre, Australian Catholic University
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Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Sydney
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Research fellow, The University of Queensland
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Professor of Forensic Genetics, Flinders University
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ARC DECRA Senior Research Fellow in Sex & Sexuality, La Trobe University
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Professor of Genetics and Public Engagement, University of Leicester
