Researchers from the University of California have modified brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) to manufacture cannabis compounds including the psychoactive chemical THC in a world’s first. This technology could soon provide researchers with cheaper, more efficient and reliable access to medicinal cannabis compounds that are found in trace amounts in nature.
Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Neuroscience in Shanghai have been the first to clone genetically-altered primates. Five infant macaques share the exact same genes, derived from a fibroblast taken from the skin of a donor monkey. This technique could theoretically produce an unlimited number of replicas and provide clear benefits for medical testing.
Researchers from the University of Colorado have published interesting results from their survey on acceptance of genetically modified (GM) foods. They found that the most extreme opponents of GM foods actually know the least about the science behind it, but believe the opposite. These eye-opening insights shed light on an increasingly relevant topic and could have implications for science communication in other fields alike.