Scientists Have Built a Human ‘Pangenome’ to Better Reflect Diversity

For two decades, scientists have been comparing every person’s full set of DNA they study to a template that relies mostly on genetic material from one man affectionately known as “the guy from Buffalo.” But they’ve long known that this template for comparison, or “reference genome,” has serious limits because it doesn’t reflect the spectrum … Read more

FDA Panel Recommends the First Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill

On May 10, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expert panel voted unanimously to make an oral contraceptive pill available over-the-counter. If the FDA adopts the panel’s recommendation, the birth control pill, which is currently only available by prescription, would become the first oral contraceptive that women can take without medical supervision. “This represents … Read more

Court Rules EPA Must Regulate Harmful Drinking Water Contaminant Linked to Infant Brain Damage

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Environmental Protection Agency must regulate perchlorate, reversing a Trump-era rollback on a drinking water contaminant linked to brain damage in infants. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled unanimously in an appeal brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council … Read more