A few weeks ago, I noticed a surprising metric when posting my weekly DNA Science blog – at year’s end, I’d hit…
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post The 500th Blog Post at DNA Science: In Celebration of VaccinesRead more
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post Perfume from Extinct Flowers, Thanks to Ancient DNA and Synthetic BiologyRead more
“Enchant your loved ones with nature’s lost scents, revived through biotechnology and perfume artistry.” When that popped up on Facebook, I was…
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post Why Cats Sniff Each Other’s ButtsRead more
Anyone who lives with more than one member of Felis catus knows that our beloved felines love to smell each other’s anal…
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post Breeding Better Butternut Squash – and a Thanksgiving RecipeRead more
After a long career as a science writer, textbook author, and genetic counselor, I’ve become an accidental authority on squashes. I began…
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post The Dawn of Molecular Genetics: A Glimpse of History in a Textbook from 1952Read more
The email from my former neighbor Shaun Kuczek was unexpected. “Hi Ricki! My Dad passed in July, and we’re cleaning out his…
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post FDA Returns Disappointing News for ALS Stem Cell TherapyRead more
Last week DNA Science covered a setback in a clinical trial of a gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Also recently…
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post Is Recent Gene Therapy Setback for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) Déjà vu All Over Again?Read more
In the final chapter of my 2012 book The Forever Fix: Gene Therapy and the Boy Who Saved It, I predicted that…
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post How Breast Cancer Reunited Six High School FriendsRead more
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month, I am republishing this essay written on the eve of the pandemic. It’s an intriguing…
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post Determining Disease Risks Based on Genetic Ancestry Can Counter Health Care Disparities, But Doesn’t Go Far EnoughRead more
When it comes to estimating risk of a disease that is either genetic or has a genetic component, ancestry of an individual…
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post The Festival of Genomics and Biodata 2023 Comes to BostonRead more
One of the most anticipated returns to normalcy following the pandemic is the in-person conference. Like the mythical Phoenix bird arising from…
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post Why I’m Not Worried that ChatGPT Will Replace Me as a Biology Textbook AuthorRead more
I just used ChatGPT for the first time. Initially, I was concerned about my future as the chatbot near-instantaneously answered my queries…
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post Watermelon Pangenome Reveals Origins of SweetnessRead more
As autumn looms, we’re enjoying the last bites of sweet, juicy watermelon. Conventional agriculture has molded our fruits and veggies to suit…