The "genome revolution" over the past 30 years has resulted in the elucidation of several species, both domesticated (see, e.g., "The Genetic Basis of Coat Variation in Dogs"; "Further and More Detailed Study of Domestic Cat...more
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has posted a February 2024 guidance entitled “Foods Derived from Plants Produced Using Genome Editing: Guidance for Industry.” According to FDA, one purpose of the guidance is to...more
After undergoing an extensive three-year consultation process, the EU Commission’s proposal for a regulation on plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques like CRISPR-Cas (the “Proposal”) is finally available for...more
When it comes to legal rainmakers, researchers have identified five specific types – and determined which is most likely to succeed. The Rainmaker Genome Project, a survey sponsored by Inapp and conducted by DCM Insights,...more
The domestic cat has been the subject of much study, recently involving its genetic structure, genomic DNA sequence, and comparisons with other felines. The first such study was published in 2014, when an international...more
The advent of technology making feasible elucidation of whole genomic sequencing over the past 30 years has led to reports of many if not most important or interesting animal genomes (including the most celebrated results of...more
The giraffe is the tallest extant terrestrial animal, and its iconic long neck (6 feet) provides advantages for foraging for food and detecting predators on the veldt over long distances. As a consequence, however, the...more
As the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted life throughout the world this spring, bats have been a prominent feature in news stories and recriminations about how the pandemic started (and being blamed even more than happenings in...more
The domesticated chicken, Gallus gallus domesticus, is the most numerous domestic animal and a preferred source of animal protein. Chicken domestication has been thought (based on traditional measures) to have arisen in the...more
The avocado, having gained popularity (at least in the U.S.) as a convenient (and delicious) vehicle for consuming otherwise not particularly healthful corn chips, has more recently been hailed as a "superfood" when consumed...more
The coming of the genomic age has made popular genetic explanations of traits (behavioral as well as structural) in plants, animals, and humans. Because of their importance (economically, historically, and emotionally), dogs...more
Durum wheat, Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum (Desf.) Husn., used principally for pasta production, was derived from wild emmer wheat, T. turgidum ssp. dicoccoides (Körn. ex Asch. & Graebn.) Thell. from domesticated emmer...more
What are the 3 letters that should strike fear into the heart of every food executive? No, the 3 letters are not F-D-A. Although the Food and Drug Administration is quite powerful, the agency can only wield that power...more
The orange clownfish, Amphiprion percula, is an important denizen of many reef systems (and, thanks to Disney, Pixar, and Ellen Degeneris, one of the most famous fishes since the Billy Bass). One of thirty species of...more
The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) has been the subject of a controlled breeding experiment in Russia, at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, to select for genetic determinants associated with...more
Many people of a certain age will remember their first awareness of the koala coming from a television commercial in the 1960's for an Australian airline ("I hate Qantas"). Thereafter, of course, zoos, like the San Diego Zoo...more
Perhaps somewhat ironically, a group of Chinese researchers* recently published a report on the genome of the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana), entitled "The genomic and functional landscapes of developmental...more
On April 12, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the finalization of two guidances that describe regulatory approaches intended to streamline oversight of next generation sequencing (NGS)-based tests...more
On January 10-11, 2018, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s (NAS) Standing Committee on Use of Emerging Science for Environmental Health Decisions (ESEHD) convened a workshop entitled “The Promise...more
One of the characteristics of autumn is a harvest of vegetables in the squash family, including the ubiquitous pumpkin (equally famous for pumpkin pie and infamous for pumpkin spiced varieties of seemingly any food product). ...more
A major conceit of the "genomics" revolution, involving the various species-specific genome projects epitomized by the one for Homo sapiens was the idea that decoding a genome would tell us everything there was to know about...more
The two draft guidance documents are intended to streamline the review of next generation sequencing-based tests. On July 8, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) issued two draft guidance documents...more
IBM’s Watson for Genomics and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) just announced a public-private research partnership to study genomics and provide tailored medical solutions to patients. This partnership is poised...more
The rise and spread of the Zika virus, although limited for now to South America, has raised concerns globally, particularly with the prospect of the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro later this year. And with those concerns...more
The Megatrends Reshaping Healthcare: Managing Change and Maximizing Opportunity - Editor's Note: In 2013, Manatt Health identified 10 megatrends that would reinvent the healthcare marketplace across the next decade. In a...more