# Genetics
All time
# Selling our genes
Government investment in DNA-collecting company Genuity Science loses value
The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund had invested €66m in the private genetics company acquired in a deal announced yesterday.
# Selling our genes
Selling Our Genes: Government inaction allowing private sector to take control of our DNA
Hospitals and universities across Ireland are collaborating with Genuity Science due to, experts say, lack of a public project or strategy.
# Selling our genes
Selling Our Genes: UCD agreement with for-profit DNA collection company 'restrictive'
Expert familiar with such agreements cited issues with data access, exclusivity and intellectual property.
# noteworthy.ie
Selling Our Genes: Government needs to keep ‘our national identity’ in public ownership
Ireland still has a chance to take control of genomics research – if it follows this advice.
# Selling our genes
Beaumont researchers change opt-out deadline for genomics study following calls by Health Minister
Concerns were raised in the Dáil because “public awareness of this significant proposal is very limited”.
# Consent Process
Concerns over timing of opt-out 'publicity campaign' for genomics research
Researchers are worried that affected patients and families will not see notices for commercially linked study.
Voices
Opinion: 'We have to act now before our genetic code falls into private hands to be used for profit'
Solicitor Simon McGarr also explains how Genomics Medicine Ireland did not meet the informed consent requirements for a Galway study.
Voices
Opinion: Why has the State invested €70m in a private company to look at our genetic data?
Dr Ciara Staunton says it is “unfathomable” that the government has funded the collection of 400,000 Irish genomes, shutting them off from most researchers.
# Genetics
No single 'gay gene' exists, says scientists
Many genetic variants play a role in same-sex attraction, according to a new scientific study.
# Iron Man
Irish people more prone to iron overload than European neighbours because of inter-marriage
Today is National Haemochromatosis Awareness Day as part of World Haemochromatosis Week
# Genetics
UK allows doctors to make babies using DNA from three people
The technique is being used to help prevent women passing on fatal genetic diseases to their children.
# who are we really?
Are Irish people really that diverse genetically? Now, we have a much better idea
A new study has given new insights into where our ancestry lies.
# Breakthrough
Scientists fix disease genes in human embryos for the first time
Just over 72% of the embryos ended up being free of a heart disease-causing mutation.
# misconceptions
Study on ancestry of Irish Travellers details genetic connection to settled community
The research comes as the Irish State is expected to formally recognise Travellers as an ethnic group.
# sma1
'We're flabbergasted': Wonder drug approved for 22-month-old baby with rare condition
Last night, the HSE approved a programme that could save the lives of two baby girls.
# SPINAL MUSCULAR ATROPHY
'If she gets another chest infection she probably won't make it, that’s the reality'
Nellie and Lara are the only two children in Ireland with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 – an extremely rare genetic condition.
# brown eyed girl
Ireland's first farmers were far different from the Irish we know today
The DNA of two sets of remains have been analysed for the first time.
# ethics
Chinese scientists want to sell these teensy genetically-engineered pigs as pets
However, it’s not yet known how their health will be impacted by the process.
# Cheer up!
Miserable all the time? Don't worry, you can explain it away with science
Just blame it on those bad genes.
# test tube
Three-person babies could be born as early as next year
UK politicians have approved an IVF method that uses DNA from three donors.
# Medical miracle
Woman who is 95% genetically male gives birth to twins
Her doctor said this is akin to a man delivering twins as the woman did not undergo puberty and has never had a period.
Voices
Opinion: Legislation is urgently needed following Supreme Court ruling on surrogacy
It is a fact of life that parents will enter into arrangements of whereby a third party bears their child – so we need legislation that deals directly with surrogacy.
# Genetics
Leo Varadkar promises legislation on surrogacy and egg and sperm donation
The family in this case has said it is “very disappointed but every hopeful”.
# Hey Big Spender
GenCell is only 3 years old but it has succumbed to a (very) wealthy American suitor
The Irish genetics firm has been sold to a multi-billion dollar US medical-technology company for a secret sum.
# speed gene
The story of the Irish scientist leading a horse racing revolution
A short film on Dr Emmeline Hill, the UCD geneticist who discovered the “speed gene” in horses.
# science soapbox
'No limitations': Ireland's top women scientists gather to showcase their work
A free event happening in Dublin today aims to get more girls and young women interested in the field.
# Genetics
Ever heard of Alpha-1 deficiency? Here's why you might want to get tested
One in 25 people is a carrier for Alpha-1 deficiency, but it remains somewhat of a hidden disease.
# book review
‘The Sports Gene’ should be top of your post-Christmas book list
David Epstein’s work addresses the nature v nurture debate in the most balanced manner we have come across.
# true or false
Debunked: Are redheads, gingers, and strawberry blondes going extinct?
Someday in the future, that pesky MC1R could be a thing of the past, if this myth is to be believed.
# Your Say
Poll: Do you agree with IVF treatment that uses genes from three parents?
The UK has given it a green light. What do you think of the scientific breakthrough?
# Stress
Sperm from anxious dads produces stress-ready children
However a study also said that a reduced reactivity to stress can lead to diseases such as anxiety and depression.
# get off the couch
Hey lazybones, good news: scientists say laziness could be genetic
It’s not you, it’s your genes…
# Early bird
Early risers may have genetic advantage
Those annoying types who can get up and go early in the morning? It may be down to a genetic variation.
# DNA
DNA test to help identify superhorses
A genetic variant that influences gait in horses is potentially good news for breeders – but also for those researching a way to fix human spine injuries.
# Anxiety
Study shows males exposed to chronic stress have anxious daughters
Tests conducted on mice show psychiatric disorders may depend on our fathers’ experiences in their youth.
# Genetics
Unborn babies could be tested for 3500 genetic conditions
Blood and saliva samples from parents could predict thousands of genetic conditions in unborn babies.
# Autism
Insulting and outrageous: James Reilly slams Tony Humphreys autism comments
The Minister for Health has a 25-year-old autistic son Jamie.
# family history
Researchers find cancer in ancient Egyptian mummy
Researchers say the discovery in the 2,200-year-old mummy is the second oldest known case of prostate cancer.
Voices
Column: Will GM crops save the world, or just make a lot of money?
Modified seeds are touted as the answer to a growing global population – but they come with sinister consequences, writes Kevin Downey.
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