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Kitchen Biology

Mar 08, 2012

A new program on PBS, NOVA's "Cracking Your Genetic Code," is a good example of why DIY biohacking has taken hold, says Veronique Greenwood at the 80beats blog. A PBS promotional video shows how simple it can be to extract DNA using common household products. "The video is a neat reminder that what happens in labs isn't magic: it's just basic chemistry," Greenwood adds.

Breaking News
The Scan

Pig Organ Transplants Considered

The Wall Street Journal reports that the US Food and Drug Administration may soon allow clinical trials that involve transplanting pig organs into humans.

'Poo-Bank' Proposal

Harvard Medical School researchers suggest people should bank stool samples when they are young to transplant when they later develop age-related diseases.

Spurred to Develop Again

New Scientist reports that researchers may have uncovered why about 60 percent of in vitro fertilization embryos stop developing.

Science Papers Examine Breast Milk Cell Populations, Cerebral Cortex Cellular Diversity, Micronesia Population History

In Science this week: unique cell populations found within breast milk, 100 transcriptionally distinct cell populations uncovered in the cerebral cortex, and more.