genetic testing news stories on Newser

Oxford Scholars Search for Yeti

Matt Cantor — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:47:05 CDT

The search for the yeti is going high-tech. Thanks to genetic analysis, Oxford researchers hope to say for sure whether the creature of lore exists, Gizmodo reports. Working in conjunction with the Lausanne Museum of Zoology, researchers are asking people who claim to have evidence of the yeti to send...

Santorum Opposes Prenatal Tests

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 03:16:34 CST

Amniocentesis for pregnant women? Forget it, says Rick Santorum. Such prenatal testing only results in more abortions, the candidate says. Santorum reiterated views he first expressed over the weekend in Ohio, where he ripped President Obama's support of insurance coverage of the test "because it ends up in more abortions"...

New DNA Test Reveals Children Born of Incest

Kevin Spak — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 10:58:26 CST

Suspect your parents may have been related? Well, now you can find out behind their back, thanks to new advances in DNA testing, USA Today reports. In a study published yesterday, doctors revealed that they can now determine if a child is born of incest without testing the DNA of...

Berkeley to Freshmen: Want a DNA Test?

Kevin Spak — Wed, 19 May 2010 09:37:03 CDT

UC Berkeley's incoming freshmen have an unusual option this summer: Students can swab their cheeks and send it in for a DNA test that will check for genes that help metabolize alcohol, lactose, and folates. The school is hoping that genetic information will help students live a healthier lifestyle on...

Walgreens to Wait on Cheap Genetic Tests

Thu, 13 May 2010 06:32:20 CDT

Drugstore giant Walgreen Co. will hold off selling over-the-counter genetic tests. The company announced Tuesday that the kits would be on shelves this month, but reversed the decision after a stiff response from regulators. "These kits have not been proven safe, effective, or accurate," an FDA rep said. The tests...

Drugstores Will Sell Genetic Tests

Kevin Spak — Tue, 11 May 2010 10:27:00 CDT

Soon, you may be able to pick up a genetic testing kit at your local drugstore. A San Diego company has made a deal to sell its new Insight test at Walgreens locations across the country, promising consumers a look at their risk for Alzheimer's, breast cancer, diabetes, and more....

Want to Save Dad? Insurance Won't Let You

Polly Davis Doig — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:25:15 CDT

So dear old dad desperately needs a kidney, and the docs say you're the best fit. Tough luck, writes Nicholas Kristof in a look at the case of David Waddington, whose two sons can't donate—because pre-donation screening might reveal to insurance companies that they have the same genetic condition...

Genius, Madness Linked to Gene

Rob Quinn — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:45:00 CDT

The reason why many creative people like Vincent Van Gogh show self-destructive tendencies is in the genes, researchers have discovered. Scientists in a new study found that volunteers identified as the most creative also had the highest levels of a gene variant associated with psychosis and depression, the Daily Telegraph...

Paris Keeps Cut Hair to Dodge DNA Testing

Jane Yager — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:47:20 CDT

The hair snipped from Paris Jackson's head last week won't be falling into the hands of the genetic paparazzi. The Las Vegas salon that cut the 11-year-old's hair carefully swept up, bagged, and handed over every last strand, apparently to stop potential thieves from running a DNA test on the...