Any recommendations for iPhone apps or Web apps that will be useful in a basic science lab. [more inside]
posted by roofus on Nov 4, 2009 - 3 answers

If you (a human) were cloned, would your clone look exactly like you? [more inside]
posted by orrnyereg on Oct 13, 2009 - 26 answers

Should I try to breed out the parts of me I don't like? Or is it ok to make super neurotic kids? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 17, 2009 - 19 answers

I lost a link to a really interesting article I wanted to read... can YOU help me find it? The article was probably on a science blog. It was, more or less, a debunking of arguments in favor of behavioral heritability and the genetic predisposition for certain horrible actions. If not a blog, perhaps it was in a weekly sitting in my therapist's office? [more inside]
posted by mr. remy on Aug 10, 2009 - 5 answers

What are the chances my baby will have red hair? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 22, 2009 - 32 answers

Both of my parents have brown hair, brown eyes. I also have brown hair, brown eyes. My two older brothers have blond hair, blue eyes. Is that strange? A reason to think they may be adopted? [more inside]
posted by scottreynen on Jun 21, 2009 - 22 answers

My best friend is considering a career in genetics and would welcome guidance, advice and anecdotes on schools/ jobs. [more inside]
posted by roxie5 on May 21, 2009 - 6 answers

How far can corn pollen drift in the wind? 1 mile? 10 miles? [more inside]
posted by tnygard on May 18, 2009 - 6 answers

What field(s) of medicine is/are most likely to benefit from new genetic technology? [more inside]
posted by greatgefilte on Apr 1, 2009 - 2 answers

Regarding humans, is it possible to remove the DNA from an unfertilized female egg and replace it with the DNA from a sperm cell carrying the X-chromosome (perhaps using a process similar to nuclear transfer)? After doing this, could the egg be fertilized by the sperm of a different male and implanted into a surrogate mother, thus creating a child that is the biological child of two males? [more inside]
posted by Houyhnhnm on Mar 13, 2009 - 12 answers

Why couldn't Henry VIII have living male children (except Edward) and then, why did Edward die so young? Medical explanations? [more inside]
posted by mygothlaundry on Jan 5, 2009 - 14 answers

"The DNA of humans and chimps is 98.4% identical." I've read that several places. I've also read "The DNA of all living things is 90% identical" and "The DNA of humans and lettuce is 16% identical." How could I find out which of those last two statements is correct? Or is the problem that I don't understand which part of the DNA is being referred to? (Frankly, I'm not that clear on DNA in the first place - I'd just like the right number.)
posted by kestralwing on Dec 31, 2008 - 14 answers

This has been bugging me for a while: is there much difference in appearances between people of various European backgrounds? Acquaintances and strangers can always "tell" I'm genetically Scottish, or at least some strain of Brit. This would seem ludicrous if they weren't totally right. [more inside]
posted by zoomorphic on Dec 2, 2008 - 65 answers

Help me find a video/article about a race experiment. [more inside]
posted by GrooveStix on Jul 6, 2008 - 2 answers

Where does my baby get her red hair? [more inside]
posted by vermontlife on Jun 23, 2008 - 40 answers

Genetic damage caused by hallucinogens? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 30, 2008 - 23 answers

What's new and exciting in the fields of molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics? I'm looking for an exciting/interesting journal article to present to my classmates along the lines of heterologous eukaryotic expression of a gene or gene therapy utilizing knockouts as a technique or with an emphasis on transgenic organisms. I could, of course, slog through the journals on my own and guess at what might be exciting in the field, but I thought I would ask the hive first. Any biochemists or molecular biologists out there want to give this a go? Citations would be incredibly helpful.
posted by stuboo on Mar 18, 2008 - 13 answers

Scientific History Filter / Native German Speaker Filter. What did Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard's 1985 exclamation, "Das war ja toll!" mean? [more inside]
posted by kisch mokusch on Feb 25, 2008 - 11 answers

Would it be worthwhile to preserve a sample of my parents' DNA, with their permission, in case I ever need it for genetic testing of myself or my family? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 26, 2008 - 9 answers

Are there any studies, past or present, devoted to the idea of deriving precise time of either conception or birth from DNA analysis? For conception, I can imagine a science fiction author describing a rhythmic pattern or pulse emitted by something in the DNA whose beats are somehow recorded somewhere, like the veritable second hand of a clock. For birth time I'm a little fuzzier on the possibilities, but one idea that occurred to me was the studying the effects of direct light (sun or artificial) on a baby's chromosomes when exposed for the first time (not counting any rays that might penetrate the womb through the mother). There is also the telomere clock to consider, about which I know very little.
posted by christopherious on Dec 12, 2007 - 16 answers

Could you hide a number in someone? [more inside]
posted by mkultra on Nov 28, 2007 - 27 answers

Gag gift for the head of a major genetics department, any ideas? [more inside]
posted by greatgefilte on Nov 27, 2007 - 21 answers

Medical professionals: how do you intellectually and emotionally cope with disease and death? [more inside]
posted by melissa may on Apr 2, 2007 - 20 answers

Where can I get a specific gene tested for mutations/polymorphisms? [more inside]
posted by wireless on Dec 3, 2006 - 17 answers

So...let's say that some freak nuclear accident (or, in our current political climate, perhaps a purposeful nuclear attack) wipes out most of the world's population. How many people would have to survive to successfully re-populate the world? (more inside) [more inside]
posted by AlliKat75 on Nov 13, 2006 - 15 answers

ObscureFilter: What is the term/explanation for a certain type of eyelid shape of some folks of Northern and Eastern European background? My memory is hazy, but it's considered a genetic trait, and I know there's a name for it. I guess the appearance is best described as having two eyelid folds, the higher of which is more pronounced and drapes slightly over the lower fold. (See Bjork, for example.)
posted by veronica sawyer on Oct 10, 2006 - 6 answers

What are the odds of a sibling inheriting the absolute opposite complement of chromosomes from their parents compared to another sibling? It has to be a pretty slim but not zero chance, right?
posted by geekhorde on Jul 27, 2006 - 13 answers

Being in the midst of my first bout of urishiol-induced contact dermatitis, I'm using some of my downtime to read up on the culprit: Poison Ivy. Along the way, however, I've come across some confusing information... [more inside]
posted by The Confessor on Jul 10, 2006 - 7 answers

Say that interethnic breeding has created a homogenous-looking mixed-race human species in the far-flung future. What kind of effect would this have on biodiversity? [more inside]
posted by chrominance on Apr 14, 2006 - 22 answers

Responsibility filter: Is it responsible to have a child when there is a high percentage chance of passing on a genetic disease? [more inside]
posted by maelanchai on Feb 19, 2006 - 42 answers

Two sisters give birth. The two children have the same father. [more inside]
posted by amusem on Jan 12, 2006 - 20 answers

My cat is a standard tabby. This isn't her, but she looks about like this. When I picked her out, she had one all-black sibling, and one all-gray sibling, all with short hair. I saw her mother flash by at one point, a short-haired calico like this one. Is it possible, with this information, to extrapolate what my cat's father looked like?
posted by interrobang on Nov 1, 2005 - 17 answers

Any MeFites around who faint at the sight of blood? If so, are you aware of any close relatives who do the same? [more inside]
posted by greatgefilte on Aug 4, 2005 - 19 answers

I just received my results from the Genographic Project and they are confusing. Can someone explain my mitochondrial DNA to me? [more inside]
posted by scazza on Jul 14, 2005 - 14 answers

How do cells form various shapes? [more inside]
posted by delmoi on Jul 13, 2005 - 10 answers

If a pregnant mother had trichinosis, would she inevitably pass it on to her child? If her child were born and went untreated, would the child survive? How long might it survive, and with what symptoms?
posted by Shane on Jan 10, 2005 - 10 answers

Multiregional or Out of Africa?
posted by four panels on Oct 28, 2004 - 13 answers

Can fish interbreed like dogs? My SO and I have been talking about dogs lately so the mixed-breed thing has been a regular topic of conversation. Last night we were at a Thai restaurant with a large fish tank and some gigantic fish. Too big for the tank, in my opinion. And that got me to wondering....can different kinds of fish, genetically speaking, be bred with each other? Even if they wouldn't do it on their own (mating rituals, etc.), could they do it with a scientists help?
posted by jaded on Feb 24, 2004 - 8 answers