Below is a selection of my recent stories at Medium. The full archive of my Medium work (including for Future Human, OneZero, Elemental, and the Coronavirus Blog, can be found here.)
DNA Is Now Solving Decades-Old Newborn Killings | Future Human | Dec. 16, 2020
Genealogy databases are leading police to mothers who killed their babies.
Scientists Are Building Cows to Resist Climate Change | Future Human | Nov. 10, 2020
Using gene editing to make heat-tolerant cows could results in 'super calves.'
Your Genes May Determine Your Covid-19 Risk | Elemental | Nov. 10, 2020
What scientists are learning could make a difference in treatment.
The Race to Recreate Breast Milk Without the Breast | Future Human | Oct. 15, 2020
Companies are harnessing biotech to make bespoke milk.
A Startup Is Making Thousands of Gene-Edited Pigs Because Humans Need Their Organs | Future Human | Oct. 20, 2020
Scientists are using CRISPR to address the global organ shortage.
The End of Deafness | Future Human | Sept. 29, 2020
Tweaking a person’s DNA could provide hearing to those born without it, but not everyone thinks deafness needs to be ‘cured’.
Vaccine Tech 30 Years in the Making Is Getting Put to the Ultimate Test | Future Human | Aug. 21, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic could change the way we make vaccines.
The Era of DNA Database Hacks Is Here | OneZero | July 30, 2020
A major data breach shows genetic information is vulnerable to attack.
What Miniature Lab-Grown Brains Reveal About the Effects of Covid-19 | OneZero | July 13, 2020
Organoids are helping scientists study the coronavirus.
Scientists Edited Human Embryos in the Lab, and It Was a Disaster | OneZero | June 16, 2020
The experiment raises major safety concerns for gene-edited babies.
Amazon Is Really Interested in the Blood of Covid-19 Patients | OneZero | June 4, 2020
The company is backing scientific efforts that could make its warehouses safer.
How to Get a Covid-19 Vaccine to Everyone | OneZero | May 26, 2020
Developing the vaccine is only the first step.
The Race Is on to Find the Holy Grail of Covid-19 Antibodies | OneZero | May 14, 2020
Lab-made antibodies could be out best hope against the pandemic — and future ones.
'Immunity Passports' Could Create a New Category of Privilege | OneZero | April 23, 2020
Proof of a prior infection could come with more freedom.
An Experimental Coronavirus Vaccine Is Already Being Tested on People | OneZero | March 24, 2020
But it still won't be widely available for at least a year,
Scientists Have Recreated the Coronavirus in a Lab | OneZero | March 5, 2020
A synthetic virus could help develop drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic tests but could also be used as a bioweapon.
You DNA Test Could Crack a Cold Case | OneZero | March 11, 2020
Consumer DNA databases are a powerful new tool for police.
Trump's DNA Is Reportedly for Sale. Here's What Someone Could Do with It. | OneZero | Feb. 14, 2020
An anonymous group claims it took DNA from global elites — and is auctioning it off.
The Scientist Who Got a Brain Implant to Cure His Alcoholism | OneZero | Jan. 30, 2020
Deep brain stimulation could help curb drug and alcohol addiction.
Scientists Dodge FDA to Offer a $1 Million Anti-Aging Treatment in South America | OneZero | Dec. 5, 2019
The unproven gene therapy aims to lengthen a person's telomeres.
A Blind Man Sees His Birthday Candles Again, Thanks to a Bionic Eye | OneZero | Nov. 18, 2019
A brain implant helped restore his sight after a tragic car crash.
Surgeons Are Transplanting Genetically Engineered Pig Skin Onto Humans | OneZero | Nov. 11, 2019
It's a key first step toward using pigs to solve the world's donor organ shortage.
Ambrosia, the Young Blood Transfusion Startup, Is Quietly Back in Business | OneZero | Nov. 8, 2019
The company says it paused operations after an FDA notice, but customer demand remained high.
The Defense Department Plans to Build Radiation-Proof CRISPR Soldiers | OneZero | Sept. 27, 2019
A DARPA project aims to temporarily alter human genes to shield people from deadly radiation exposure.
Despite Calls for a Moratorium, More 'Three-Parent' Babies Expected Soon | OneZero | Sept. 16, 2019
Clinics in Europe say they will continue offering a controversial IVF procedure.
CRISPR Could Be the Future of Disease Diagnosis | OneZero | July 25, 2019
The gene-editing tool is being used to develop portable, at-home tests for infectious diseases and even cancer.