The hottest Genetics Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Health & Wellness Topics

The Goldilocks zone between inbreeding and outbreeding

ideassleepfuriously • 884 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. The risk of producing abnormal embryos is highest in siblings, lower in first cousins, and lowest in third or fourth cousins.
  2. Inbreeding can lead to shared defective alleles and recessive disorders, causing inbreeding depression.
  3. Outbreeding can lead to genetic incompatibilities and higher rates of miscarriage, causing outbreeding depression.

Why Does COVID-19 Impact People Differently?

LIL Science • 943 implied HN points • 24 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Genetics
  1. COVID-19 affects people differently, with factors like age, comorbidities, and exposure to the virus playing a role
  2. Genetics, such as blood type and HLA genotype, can impact susceptibility to severe COVID-19
  3. Research is ongoing to uncover genetic factors that influence COVID-19 severity, but prevention through vaccination, masks, and distancing remains key

The 3 things Bryan Johnson is missing from his longevity routine.

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 958 implied HN points • 17 Dec 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Genetics
  1. Eating a highly nutritious diet, maintaining a healthy body composition, and systematically testing nutrient status are impactful habits for longevity that we can all adopt.
  2. Key aspects missing from Bryan Johnson's longevity routine are ranked and sorted genetics, functional markers of nutrient status, and thorough screening for energy metabolism impairments.
  3. It may not be necessary for most people to follow an extreme caloric deficit like Johnson's 25%. Opting for a less drastic approach, along with comprehensive nutrient testing, can be more realistic and beneficial.

A Brief Genetic History of Europe

Holodoxa • 239 implied HN points • 19 May 24
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. Modern Europeans have a complex genetic history with contributions from different ancient populations like hunter-gatherers and Neolithic farmers.
  2. Advancements in genomics have drastically reduced the cost of sequencing genomes, leading to significant progress in understanding human genetic history.
  3. Migration has been a significant factor in shaping the genetic and cultural landscape of Europe over thousands of years, and it continues to play a crucial role in our future.
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The First Humans in Europe

Grey Goose Chronicles • 1257 implied HN points • 23 Jul 23
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. Evidence suggests that the earliest human ancestors in Europe evolved in Europe before eventually moving to Africa.
  2. The arrival of different human species in Europe can be traced through archaeological findings and genetic studies.
  3. Neanderthals existed in Europe for a long time, and the arrival of modern humans led to significant changes and interactions.

Genetiken förändrar vår syn på ras

Rak höger med Ivar Arpi • 589 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Genetics
  1. Genetics has revealed greater differences between people than previously thought, challenging both racist and politically correct beliefs.
  2. Historical migrations and cultural exchanges are being reevaluated in light of DNA research, overthrowing old theories.
  3. Recent genetic studies have shed light on demographic movements, such as the Indo-European migrations, significantly impacting our understanding of human history.

Start Here for MTHFR and Methylation

Harnessing the Power of Nutrients • 1677 implied HN points • 04 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Genetics
  1. Methylation is crucial for physical, mental, and emotional health. It involves the transfer of methyl groups and plays a role in synthesizing important molecules like creatine and phosphatidylcholine.
  2. Balancing methylation is vital; too much can have negative consequences. Proper nutrition, including methionine, vitamins B12 and folate, betaine, and glycine, is essential.
  3. To optimize MTHFR status, focus on foods and supplements that support methylation. Searchable databases and related articles provide valuable information on this topic.

A Biologist's Guide to Biotech

A Biologist's Guide to Life • 22 implied HN points • 12 Feb 26
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. Biotechnology—from ancient agriculture to modern medicine—powers food and health and has transformed human society and life expectancy.
  2. Research tools like sequencing, PCR, CRISPR, and lab automation accelerate discovery and are often easier to commercialize than whole crops or drugs because they avoid heavy clinical and scaling barriers; selling them means convincing scientists they cut costs or enable new, publishable work.
  3. Building biotech companies is very different from building software: it requires lab space, expensive reagents, patents, regulatory know-how, and often partnerships with big ag or pharma, so science training should better prepare people for these practical business and legal realities.

Polygenic Risk Scores: Ready for Prime Time?

Ground Truths • 3980 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Genetics
  1. Polygenic risk scores can provide valuable information on high genetic risk for diseases like heart disease and cancer, beyond traditional clinical risk factors.
  2. The use of polygenic risk scores is advancing thanks to efforts like the eMERGE consortium, incorporating multi-ancestry data and rigorous validation.
  3. Actionable polygenic risk scores have the potential to reduce health disparities and enhance preventive strategies in medical practice.

The Renaissance in Biology

Solve Cancer in 365 days • 19 implied HN points • 01 Sep 24
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. Biology can be understood like hardware and software. While genes represent the hardware, we need to pay attention to the bioelectric signals, which act like the software, guiding how cells function.
  2. Traditional approaches focused too much on altering genes without comprehending the complexities of how these changes affect everything else in the body. We often miss how the interactions among different cell signals can impact health.
  3. By understanding bioelectricity, scientists might find better ways to tackle diseases. Instead of random discoveries, aligning the right signals could lead to effective treatments and innovations in biology.

⤴⤵ Up Wing/Down Wing #32

Faster, Please! • 1279 implied HN points • 25 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Genetics
  1. China has introduced a new AI model, DeepSeek, which could challenge the U.S.'s lead in AI technology. It's created with fewer resources and is making waves in the AI landscape.
  2. The U.S. is launching a major AI project called Stargate, promising to build advanced data centers to enhance tech development. This move aims to keep the U.S. at the forefront of AI innovations.
  3. Researchers are developing robots for farming and pollination that could change agriculture. These robots could help increase crop yields and make farming more sustainable.

Monday Links

Niko McCarty • 159 implied HN points • 27 May 24
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. Scientists can now deliver single molecules into living cells using special tools called nanopipettes. This could help in studying cell functions more precisely.
  2. Neuralink is facing problems with its brain chip as most of the threads inserted in the first human are not working. They plan to implant another chip in another person soon.
  3. Greenpeace is blocking the planting of Golden Rice, which is modified to help prevent vitamin A deficiency. This decision may change as the Philippine government intends to challenge it.

The Punic Paradox: Genetically, Rome's great African rival was startlingly European

Razib Khan's Unsupervised Learning • 560 implied HN points • 12 Jun 25
💾 History Genetics
  1. Carthage, an ancient city in North Africa, was more culturally European than originally thought. Genetic studies show its people were mainly similar to southern Italians and Greeks, not just the Levantine settlers.
  2. Carthage was a major power in the Mediterranean for centuries, excelling in trade and exploration long before Rome's rise. Their navy and commercial spirit allowed them to establish far-reaching trade routes.
  3. Despite its eventual downfall to Rome, Carthage's cultural legacy lived on. Language, religion, and traditions from Carthage continued to influence North Africa well after the city's destruction.

My Parents, Their Sperm Donor, and Me

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 347 implied HN points • 13 Aug 25
🎭️ Culture Genetics
  1. The author learned about her sperm donor origins in her 30s after her sister's DNA test revealed unexpected family heritage. This discovery shocked them both and raised a lot of questions about their identity.
  2. There was a sense of shame from their parents for keeping the truth a secret, which made the author feel angry and confused. She wondered why they felt they had to hide such an important part of their lives.
  3. The author questioned how her donor's background might influence her own traits and whether meeting him could be something she wanted to pursue. She felt that knowing her true origins was important for her understanding of herself.

Eve Theory of Consciousness (v2)

Vectors of Mind • 825 implied HN points • 10 May 23
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. Women may have evolved recursion before men, based on prehistoric myths and societal structures.
  2. The downsides and challenges of recursion may have led to unique pathways for human development.
  3. Gendered differences in genetic, cognitive, and cultural factors could have influenced the evolution of self-awareness and recursion in humans.

Is Designing Babies Unethical—or a Moral Imperative?

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 324 implied HN points • 11 Aug 25
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. Gene-editing technology has incredible potential to eliminate serious genetic diseases, which could save many lives. It's a powerful tool that could help create healthier babies.
  2. Some worry that this technology might lead to unethical choices, like selecting traits for intelligence or looks instead of just focusing on health. This could create a new form of eugenics.
  3. There's a big debate happening on whether designing babies is ethical or necessary. It's important for society to carefully consider the implications of these advancements for our future.

Bio links, Fall 2025

De Novo • 99 implied HN points • 16 Nov 25
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. A new method can estimate an embryo's genetic makeup using a tiny amount of data, potentially helping more people choose traits for their babies.
  2. Research on modified cows and sheep shows we can create new stem cells that might also work in humans, leading to exciting possibilities in breeding and genetics.
  3. Recent studies highlight the harmful effects of herpesviruses, showing they can lead to serious diseases like lupus, making vaccine development even more crucial.

DNA goes to the Dogs

Street Smart Naturalist: Explorations of the Urban Kind • 519 implied HN points • 14 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Genetics
  1. Woolly dogs were kept by the Coast Salish people for their fur, which was used to make warm blankets. Unfortunately, these dogs went extinct in the late 1800s, leaving only one pelt known today.
  2. Recent research used genetic studies and the historical context of Mutton, a woolly dog, to learn about its unique traits and the care it received from Indigenous people. This shows how important these dogs were to their culture.
  3. The extinction of woolly dogs is connected to historical racism and policies that targeted Indigenous practices. Understanding this context is just as important as studying the genetics of the dogs.

Monthly Archaeology Round-Up: April

Grey Goose Chronicles • 727 implied HN points • 09 May 23
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. Native Americans were using horses over a hundred years before previously thought, shaping a new view of early Plains societies.
  2. Genetic analysis confirms migration and intermixing with Persians on Africa's Swahili coast, challenging long-held theories.
  3. Bronze Age Menorca revealed evidence of the use of powerful drugs, shedding light on ancient rituals and practices.

But Seriously, Why The F*ck Do Giraffes Have Long Necks?

Insight Axis • 612 implied HN points • 12 Nov 23
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. Giraffes have long necks to better reach food on tall trees, increasing their chances of survival and passing on their genes.
  2. In the true story of giraffes' evolution, genes are the main characters that hold knowledge for survival in their environment.
  3. Humans, unlike giraffes, can create their own knowledge using their minds, allowing them to survive in diverse environments and even outer space.

A Visual Guide to Gene Delivery

Asimov Press • 335 implied HN points • 28 Jul 25
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. Gene therapies are designed to fix problems caused by genetic mutations, and there are many delivery methods available to target these issues. The choice of delivery method depends on how the gene needs to be delivered and what condition is being treated.
  2. Two common types of gene therapies are _ex vivo_ (where cells are modified outside the body and then put back) and _in vivo_ (where the therapy is delivered directly into the body). Each has its own advantages based on the target cells and diseases.
  3. When choosing a gene delivery vehicle, factors like how much genetic material can be delivered, the ability to target specific cells, and immune responses need to be carefully considered to ensure effective and safe therapy.

Kat Kitay: The Origin of Cyborgs

Do Not Research • 499 implied HN points • 11 Dec 23
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. Donna Haraway introduced the concept of 'cyborg' in 1985 as a response to the rising technological world order
  2. Human evolution has been driven by technological advancements since ancient times, shaping our species' survival and success
  3. The modern digital revolution is pushing us towards a new kind of evolution where gene-editing technologies and digital pressures play crucial roles

We are what we speak: Indo-European phylogenetic and linguistic trees concur

Razib Khan's Unsupervised Learning • 800 implied HN points • 18 Jan 25
💾 History Genetics
  1. Recent ancient DNA research has greatly advanced our understanding of the origins and evolution of Indo-European languages. This includes finding connections between ancient peoples and the languages we speak today.
  2. Studies reveal that the Yamnaya people from the Pontic steppe played a key role in spreading Indo-European languages across Eurasia. They replaced many indigenous populations, showing a significant impact on the genetics of modern Europeans.
  3. The genetic findings confirm a close relationship between our linguistic history and biological roots. This means the languages we speak can reflect our ancestral heritage.

Androgenetic haploid selection

De Novo • 77 implied HN points • 17 Nov 25
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. Eggs are rare and expensive, which limits how many embryos we can select from for genetic improvement. Finding a way to effectively use sperm could change this.
  2. The proposed method involves making eggs, removing their DNA, and then adding sperm to create cell lines. This lets us select the best genetic traits without wasting sperm.
  3. This approach could improve the chances of getting better traits from the father side and could work even with low-quality techniques for making eggs.

Underrated Problems in Biotechnology

Niko McCarty • 99 implied HN points • 25 May 24
🕹 Technology Genetics
  1. Chick culling is a big issue where billions of male chicks are killed each year because they can't lay eggs. New technology can help determine an egg's sex earlier to prevent this cruelty.
  2. Synthetic apomixis could change farming for the better by allowing farmers to grow hybrid crops indefinitely without buying new seeds each year. This would help increase their profits and food supply.
  3. Tree engineering is important for combating climate change, but not enough researchers are focusing on it. Creating trees that grow faster and capture more carbon could help protect our forests.

No human genes have truly 100% penetrance

Trevor Klee’s Newsletter • 970 implied HN points • 10 Nov 24
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. No human genes have 100% penetrance, meaning not all who have a certain gene will show the related traits. This makes predicting health outcomes based on genetics challenging.
  2. Genetic diseases like Huntington's seem like they have high penetrance, but variability in symptoms and onset can make them unpredictable. It highlights the complexity of genetics beyond simple Mendelian traits.
  3. The body's systems, especially the immune system, add layers of complexity that affect how genes express themselves. This makes it really hard to guarantee that a specific gene will always result in the same outcome.

We were selected: tracing what humans were made for

Razib Khan's Unsupervised Learning • 783 implied HN points • 30 Dec 24
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. Ancient DNA research has greatly improved our understanding of human evolution. Scientists can now study our genetic history and how humans have adapted over thousands of years.
  2. New techniques allow researchers to see how natural selection has shaped our traits, like skin color and immune response. This gives insight into why certain characteristics are more common in different populations.
  3. The findings show that our physical traits have changed over time due to varying environmental pressures and lifestyles. This helps explain how humans have managed to survive and thrive in diverse habitats.

Open Thread 313

Astral Codex Ten • 2202 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. Genes matter 2x as much as the environment in schizophrenia, not 4x as previously thought
  2. A study on political reasoning errors failed to replicate, questioning a larger literature on the topic
  3. Humans merging with AI may not be unprecedented, as evidenced by a medieval Italian man merging with a knife

Fat Shaming and Free Will

Richard Hanania's Newsletter • 3803 implied HN points • 17 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Genetics
  1. Some argue that being overweight is not a choice, but a result of genetic and environmental factors.
  2. The concept of 'choice' is defined as a human behavior that responds to incentives.
  3. Shaming can play a role in influencing behaviors like eating and exercise, as seen with smoking cessation campaigns.

The genetics of intelligence: Exploring the link between DNA and IQ

Nucleus Genomics • 19 implied HN points • 14 Aug 24
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. IQ is affected by both genetics and environment, with genetics accounting for about 50% of IQ scores. This means there are things we inherit from our parents that can influence how we score.
  2. Research has found specific DNA differences, called genetic variants, that seem to be linked to higher IQs. These variants don’t work alone but together can give insights into intelligence.
  3. The Nucleus IQ score uses genetic data to predict how your DNA might influence your IQ score, reflecting the latest research in this area. It's an evolving field, and there's still much to learn about genetics and intelligence.

Genghis Khan, the Golden Horde and an 842-year-old paternity test

Razib Khan's Unsupervised Learning • 263 implied HN points • 14 Jul 25
💾 History Genetics
  1. Genghis Khan had a complicated family dynamic, especially concerning his first son Jochi, whose paternity was often questioned. This doubt affected Jochi's legacy and his descendants in the Golden Horde.
  2. The Golden Horde played a significant role in Eurasian history, influencing politics and trade from Europe to Asia. They were not just conquerors; they helped connect different cultures and economies.
  3. Recent genetic studies are starting to shed light on Jochi's lineage, which might help us understand more about the origins and impact of the Mongol Empire on modern histories.

If langurs can drink seawater, can humans do so as well?

Trevor Klee’s Newsletter • 895 implied HN points • 14 Nov 24
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. Cat Ba langurs can drink seawater and survive in dry conditions due to their diet and unique adaptations. They mainly get water from the leaves they eat, which helps them thrive on an isolated island.
  2. Humans cannot drink seawater without serious health issues. Consuming saltwater leads to dehydration because our bodies can't remove the excess salt fast enough.
  3. Research suggests that Cat Ba langurs have special genetic traits that allow them to manage salt and calcium better than most mammals. This helps them live in their harsh environment.

The wandering Fulani: children of the Green Sahara

Razib Khan's Unsupervised Learning • 274 implied HN points • 03 Jul 25
💾 History Genetics
  1. The Fulani people are a significant ethnic group that spans across many West African countries. They share a common culture, language, and history.
  2. The Sokoto Caliphate, established by the Fulani, played a key role in expanding Islam in West Africa and strengthening Fulani influence over the region.
  3. Recent genetic studies show the Fulani have a unique population history with evidence of Eurasian ancestry, highlighting their distinct place among Sub-Saharan African peoples.

Spain’s African Swine Fever Crisis

Who is Robert Malone • 10 implied HN points • 10 Feb 26
🔬 Science Genetics
  1. African swine fever was detected near a high-security research lab and genetic analysis showed the strain closely matches a laboratory reference virus, prompting police raids and a sealed criminal investigation into a possible lab release.
  2. Spain’s pork industry is a global powerhouse, and the outbreak triggered immediate export bans and urgent containment actions, with a real risk of massive economic losses if domestic farms become infected.
  3. The case highlights serious gaps in biosafety and oversight for high-containment, internationally funded pathogen research, underscoring the need for greater transparency, clear accountability, and stronger governance to prevent accidental releases.