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 ...

With a changing climate and a growing population, the world increasingly needs more-productive and resilient crops. But improving them requires a knowledge of what actually works in the field. Mark ...

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 ...

Bruce Beehler is a naturalist and author of 14 books, including the forthcoming “Flight of the Godwit.” This fall, I went hiking on Sugarloaf Mountain, about 30 miles northwest of the District.

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 ...

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 ...

Malaria remains one of the deadliest diseases in the world, with nearly 600,000 deaths recorded in 2023, the vast majority occurring in Africa. To combat this ongoing crisis, scientists at Imperial ...

Should we genetically modify wild lions? Of course not, might be your instant response. But what if lions were being wiped out by a devastating disease introduced by people? What if the genetic change ...

Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory and Trudeau Institute have identified the first mouse strain that is susceptible to ...

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide expert advice on some of the most pressing challenges facing the nation and world. Our ...