The unknown ancestor

It is certain that all humankind originated in Africa. It is also certain that our most recent genes are the result of interbreeding between the three versions of the original …

Genes do dance!

They have been discovered since the 40’s. But in vain: as for official genetics (that is, mainstream geneticists and biologists), they were considered “junk genes”, useless. This point of view …

the castration of flies

An important discovery is set to provide new possibilities in dealing with the Mediterranean fruit fly and the olive fruit fly, two insects that are particularly harmful to crops. After …

The long-awaited terminator…

It is called Candida auris. It is a simple fungus. And it kills! It has killed half the people who got infected in 3 months at the latest: existing anti-fungal …

Insect allies

Besides teaching robotic weapons the joy of cooperation and initiative, the American DARPA, the technological arm of the U.S. military, wants to genetically modify (and mass-produce) insects to enlist them …

the worker and the queen: epigenetics on dna determinism

… The fundamental belief called genetic determinism essentially means that our lives, which are defined as the physical, biological and emotional characteristics of our behavior, are fully controlled by our …

Minibrains

A favorite theme of science fiction (the entire The Matrix franchise is based on it) as well as discussions among “philosophers of mind”: what would happen if a brain could …

Stem cells

Stem cells are the primary type of cells that are created after fertilization, and in the course of organic development they differentiate to create the various organs. For biotechnologists, the …

On/off

“One thing we know, that we know nothing.” This should be the motto of biotechnologists, if – as “scientists” – they were honest towards the populations that fund them. But …