Meredith Salisbury

Analyzing DNA in broader populations turns up a wealth of never-before-seen genetic information and provides better understanding of diseases.

A study comparing radiologists’ results to AI tools found that the key distinction lay not in performance but in reduced workloads.

A study comparing radiologists' results to AI tools found that the key distinction lay not in performance but in reduced workloads.

New approach improves the reliability of detecting cardiac risk in ECG data from consumer devices

In new study, researchers show that genome sequencing provides more answers than traditional genetic testing.

According to physician-scientists at Stanford University, AI tools have already improved healthcare outcomes for some patients.

With a more inclusive reference data set, scientists and doctors will be able to more easily spot clinically relevant genetic variants for all people.

A lesser-known genetic code influences your health—and that of your kids and grandkids.

One major obstacle to precision medicine for all? The cost of sequencing each person’s genome. New sequencing startups could change that.

At Techonomy 22, noted philanthropist and public health expert pulled no punches as he weighed in on the Covid-19 response, the dangers of global warming, and more.

In two studies published this month, researchers report compounded risks of repeat Covid infections and the remarkable effectiveness of universal masking.

As the accuracy of traditional cancer screening is called into question, molecular and genetic tests promise an alternative, noninvasive form of early detection.

The pandemic “has been the most severe global mortality shock since World War II,” researchers find.

With $2 billion from the Biden administration, biomanufacturing in the U.S. is poised for significant growth. The economy may be, too.

Infectious disease and public policy experts investigated the global pandemic response, cataloged its many failures and assembled recommendations for future. But sadly their words will probably fall flat.

For the first time, the White House tells scientific publishers to take down the paywalls around federally funded research.

In two new studies, scientists report on symptoms, frequency, and other implications of long Covid

Pairing injected Covid vaccines with a nasal one might offer a path out of the pandemic by inducing immune protection and, importantly, blocking transmission of the virus.

From wearables to wastewater, the Covid pandemic has spurred important innovations in how we detect infectious disease. The benefits will likely be felt for years.

It points to the influence of one man, Scott Atlas, who had no qualifications for overseeing pandemic response. He undermined testing and mask-wearing, among other errors, the report recounts. Former response coordinator Deborah Birx says administration errors may have cost 130,000 lives.

New studies demonstrate that treating cancer based on its molecular vulnerabilities, rather than where it originated, could translate to better outcomes for patients

Researchers contend that training students to think like scientists will better equip people to judge the accuracy of scientific claims — and help address the growing threat of disinformation.

With a new genome sequence, more diverse data sets, and population-specific projects, scientists are making progress in representing humanity’s real DNA diversity.

After years of dismissing direct-to-consumer genetic tests, some healthcare professionals are now seeking guidelines for how to incorporate this data into patient care.

Millions of people with weakened immune systems are poorly protected against Covid by current vaccines. Scientists in Germany have developed a new vaccine intended especially for them.

A bunch of healthy but brave people signed up to get infected with Covid and be studied closely. We learned, among other things, that the virus is transmissible sooner than expected, and that patients continue to “shed” for 10 days or more.

More and more studies are showing that even mild Covid cases can lead to increased risk of severe health issues long after the initial infection is over.

What does the next phase of Covid look like? Physicians, epidemiologists, and other public health stakeholders are weighing in.

The same filtration measures we’re using for Covid would also help people stay healthier in general. Though OSHA has no standards, cheap homemade purifiers took off during the pandemic.

CAR T therapies juice the immune system. In cancer, they have cured patients who had little hope for survival. Now scientists are asking "What else can they do?"

Scientists are using elements of the gene editing technology to develop rapid, accurate tests for infectious diseases, including Covid-19.

With rapid tests failing to catch positive cases and PCR ones often taking a week or more to return results, diagnostic testing has been a disaster in the U.S. Why haven’t we ramped up to meet the challenges of Omicron?

Scientists in Ontario used machine learning techniques to find telltale signs of cancer in blood samples that were collected up to seven years prior to conventional diagnosis.

While any suicide attempt is triggered by a complex array of factors, new studies indicate that genetic variants contribute to a person’s risk. That could pave the way for new treatments or diagnostic tests.

Tests that claim to predict someone’s susceptibility to COVID-19 based on genetic data don’t work, researchers found. That’s partly because there is as yet no scientific consensus on what constitutes genetic risk.

Until now there was no way to predict the most transmissible variants, or to guide policy as new strains emerged. Now software from ride hailing can analyze the genome of variants with precision.

Wondering if you’ll need a COVID-19 booster shot? You’re not alone. Here are some answers to common questions about who needs a third dose, when, and why.

Combatting vaccine hesitancy begins by rooting out disinformation campaigns and understanding how to speak to people who don’t trust science.

From the start, the pandemic has been accompanied by an epidemic of misinformation and misconceptions. We tackle the latest myths (though not the idiotic ones).

A Techonomy primer on where variants come from, what makes them dangerous, and how to prevent them.

A new study from NIH-supported researchers finds that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was likely circulating in some states as early as December 2019.

Now that COVID-19 proved the value of this new kind of vaccine, what other previously intractable diseases might be conquered with it?

The field of human genomics has risen from inauspicious beginnings to become an economic powerhouse, and continues to increase our understanding of human health and how to cure diseases.

Experts are already distilling lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to inform our response to future outbreaks.

For starters, it was one of four mRNA candidates. Check out this behind-the-scenes look at how Pfizer and BioNTech developed one of the world’s most effective vaccines for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Confused about what precautions are needed after getting the COVID-19 vaccine? You’re not alone. Here’s the latest expert advice.

A quiet revolution in how scientists report their discoveries greased the skids for the super-fast progress we’ve seen in the pandemic.

The genomic field continues to shed light on COVID-19. The latest: vaccination frequency, new therapy options, and unexpected mutations in the virus.

Flu season usually kills tens of thousands of people in the U.S. each year. Thanks to pandemic precautions, most of those deaths were prevented this winter. Next year, will we save even more lives or go back to pretending the annual flu toll is unavoidable?

Other countries can spot new variants because they’re actively looking for them. But the U.S. has spent a year with its head in the sand.

Political leaders have suggested giving half-doses or one dose instead of two to make COVID-19 vaccines stretch further. Here’s why scientists are freaking out.

By looking at cancer as an engineering problem instead of a medical one, scientists are homing in on vulnerabilities that may lead to new ways to knock out tumors.

Pfizer and Moderna's astonishingly promising vaccines were made possible by a new scientifiic approach. Here’s a primer on how mRNA vaccines work and why we need them now. 

Even dramatically increased testing capacity has been no match for poor strategy and misdirected deployment of tests in the U.S.

Scientists are analyzing previously approved drugs to see if they have any effect against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. They might be onto something.

A leader in some of Alphabet’s health-focused initiatives recently offered an update on ways the search and data giant can use information and digital tools to improve outcomes for individuals and society.

Some leaders saw that flattening the curve wouldn’t work against the pandemic. Others were reluctant to test at all. Scientific data made the difference between responses that worked, and those that didn’t.

‘Everything is unprecedented about the pandemic, and genomics is no exception,’ says an infectious disease expert. Genome sequencing has enabled scientists to track the virus, study its origins, confirm reinfection, and get to know more about it than has been learned about any organism in such a short time.

The president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science says the pandemic’s toll on non-COVID science is ‘a huge hit.’. Many research studies shut down midway, possibly turning results into a total loss.

For both clinical and consumer markets, genomic testing has a lot to offer — but it isn’t always used where it could be valuable, and people don’t understand it well enough. As a result, demand is dwindling in some areas.

Americans have an uneasy relationship with science, and it’s influenced our sorry response to the COVID-19 pandemic. What could we do to improve the situation?

A new report on the “bio revolution” finds that bio-based production of goods will have major economic impact over the next 20 years, and help combat climate change.

To meet demand for interpretation of genetic tests, counselors are turning to chatbots, telemedicine, and more. A new grant opportunity from the NIH is another major boost.

Antibody-based therapies may pave the way out of pandemic lockdown regardless of how soon a vaccine is available. ‘The science has been really blazing fast,’ says one expert.

Antibody testing for COVID-19 is touted as the path to pulling countries out of lockdown, but results so far have been unreliable. A public health expert explains how we can improve test accuracy, how tests should be used, and whether immunity certificates are in our future.

Tuned with fresh coronavirus content, the Woebot app is ready to help you cope with pandemic anxiety (and, perhaps unlike your friends and family, will never tell you to just shut up already).

If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that early detection and early action are vital, and that vaccines are what we need most. That’s why we should roll out pathogen surveillance programs based on genome sequencing tools.

Another sort of test is possible. By looking at who’s already had COVID-19, rather than who has it now, we could help healthcare workers stay on the job.

Tech and big data is transforming healthcare -- and raising provocative questions about who owns a patient's data.

It could be a major breakthrough. Harvard scientists have a new theory about aging — and some incredibly-encouraging thoughts about how to reverse it. A keen-eyed mouse suggests it may really be possible.

Experts say mainstream medicine will be transformed in the coming years by increasingly diverse research studies, new molecular technologies, innovative approaches to treatment, and more.

Analyzing DNA in a community’s sewage could deliver important insights into the rise of antibiotic-resistance and drug-resistance by disease-causing germs.

Federal protections against genetic discrimination left major loopholes. Florida is advancing a bill to offer stronger protections, so citizens can't have their genetic data used against them.

Genomic analysis may still be thought cutting-edge by most people and doctors. But scientists have moved beyond querying DNA to understand a range of new health data about us.

Innovative DNA technology is changing how federal agencies identify victims of mass casualty events and fight human trafficking. Already, the technology has been used in the recent California wildfires.

Genomics is often touted for its potential to improve healthcare, but there’s another emerging field that’s more likely to have a positive impact on patients’ lives: proteomics. Here are some key things to know.

Digital health has the potential to make each patient’s interactions with healthcare providers more productive and engaging. That was the gist of a Techonomy 2019 session about innovation in healthcare.

There are more than 6 million species of fungi, but just a handful are known to be pathogenic to humans. Nevertheless, one expert says fungi may be world's biggest health threat.

Around the world, leading scientific organizations are moving quickly to implement new guidelines to govern the use of gene editing.

Even super smart people don’t really understand genetics. To solve the problem, experts must do one key thing: translate technical concepts into simple terms.

There's a new wave of research about microbiomes--trillions of microbes that cover our bodies. The research could lead to products that improve our health.

The USDA plans to relocate two major divisions to the Midwest--putting scientific research, and hundreds of jobs, at risk.

Congress is weighing a bipartisan proposal to allow patents for naturally occurring things like genes and organisms.

This strategy is boosting representation of women in science, tech, engineering and math—and could inspire young girls to enter the field.

Understanding how an old person’s disease develops in kids could offer clues about how to predict, or maybe even prevent, pediatric cancers.

Tech innovations are empowering consumers—and law enforcement. But civil liberties leaders are concerned.

He founded Meetup to help people connect offline. Now he wants tech to find new ways to bring people together.

An unlikely partnership could make more cancer patients eligible for clinical trials—and improve lives. The key is more accurately assessing patient frailty. Meredith Salisbury explains.

Significant progress has been made in the fight against cancer in recent years, but funding, clinical trial access, and navigating increasingly complex data sets are among the latest challenges. "Now is an exceptional time in cancer research,” says the director of the National Cancer Institute, “the tremendous progress we have made … is amazing.”

NASA is serious about putting people on Mars in the coming years. And after a major study of the biological effects of long-duration space flight, the agency is one giant leap closer to realizing that goal. John Charles, scientist in residence at the NASA Johnson Space Center, presented some findings from that study as well […]

With the exception of primetime medical dramas, you don’t hear much about rare diseases. But just because they’re “rare” — in the U.S., that’s a guideline used for diseases affecting fewer than 200,000 Americans — doesn’t mean they’re scarce. Rare Disease Day, held this year on February 28th, raises awareness for rare diseases and reminds us that these conditions have an outsize impact.

A new UK initiative has stirred debate about DNA analysis for healthy people. The program allows patients to pay to get their genome sequenced and analyzed if they agree to let the data be used in research. Author Salisbury says the UK controversy largely misses the point.

Can't get your hands on the latest Hatchimals Hatchibabies? Fear not. Techonomy's intrepid shopper has rounded up an assortment of quirky techonomic gifts that might just fill the bill this holiday season.

How about replacing big, expensive MRI and other imaging equipment with a hat or a scarf? Mary Lou Jepsen showed the audience at Techonomy 2018 just how close it is to reality.

Collaboration and partnership are the watchwords as two century-old companies, Johnson & Johnson and GE, are looking outside their walls to encourage innovation.

In a wide-ranging look at how exponential technologies could change the face of healthcare, Daniel Kraft, faculty chair of medicine and neuroscience at Singularity University, told Techonomy 2018 attendees Sunday that personalized medicine is on our doorstep, from wearables to "printed" medications.

A sweetener, based on natural sucrose, but that has no calories whatsoever? It's coming, along with portfolio of consumer products produced in the lab through synthetic genomics.

A new study makes the case that genomic medicine can be cost effective in diagnosing rare diseases, offering a potential alternative path for millions of patients worldwide.

Resistance from insurance companies threatens to slow innovation that could dramatically improve patient outcomes from genomic testing.

A new report suggests that an innovative method of analyzing DNA will allow medical researchers to predict disease risk for far more people than can be done with conventional medical tests.

In which our intrepid reporter gives her very blood to stay on the front lines of modern healthcare.

Genomics helps tailor treatment for growing numbers of patients. But it works best for white people, who often already populate databases. How can it become valuable for everyone?

New studies connect gene editing with CRISPR technology to cancer, sending stocks plummeting and raising serious questions about the technology's potential.

Scientists, academics and other stakeholders gathering in Boston lauded the potential of what CRISPR-powered innovation could offer society — and grappled with potential negative or unintended consequences from the still-nascent technology.

Genetic testing has become more mainstream and greater numbers of consumers are receiving their results — and left wondering what they mean and what to do with them. For those who need help navigating and understanding everything from so-called recreational genetic tests to potentially scary medical tests, this guide is for you.

There are an estimated 7,000 rare diseases known today, collectively affecting some 350 million people around the world. Big data, AI, and smart records bring hope.

Two speakers at Techonomy NYC look to nature for answers to separate sustainability questions.

As genomic testing becomes more popular, it is outstripping the industry's ability to provide experts to interpret the results. The shortage of trained counselors highlights a paradox — rapid adoption can be just as big of a threat to the future of the field as too slow adoption.

This month marks the 15th anniversary of the completion of the Human Genome Project. While the main goal of the project has not been fully realized, we are closer than ever to reaching it. Meredith Salisbury walks us through the ongoing benefits.

The medical benefits of genomics go disproportionately to white people, while people of other ethnicities are more likely to receive inconclusive results because scientists don’t know enough about their genetic variation. We spoke with Malia Fullerton, a bioethicist and population genetics expert, about what can be done about it.

Scientists are using genomics to reconstruct the evolutionary history of humans. These findings shed new light on our past, and also yield insights into related species, like the Neanderthals as well as other ancient hominids. At the recent Advances in Genome Biology and Technology conference, Meredith Salisbury reports on the results.

A citizen scientist project allows dog owners to contribute to the understanding of canine genetics, shedding light on the genetics and evolution of many related species. Further scientific understanding of the habits of mountain lions are underway and critical to the development of the species.

During the next two years, NHGRI will be using interactions with scientists and the public to take stock of the genomics field and where its funds can make the most difference. The landscape has shifted rapidly from the institute's early days, when it set the direction for much of the genomics community around the world.

De-extinction programs may capture the imagination, but less glamorous efforts to protect threatened species are already showing results. From the latest Techonomy Magazine.

If you're still looking for the perfect holiday present for a tech-savvy friend or relative, this sixth annual Techonomy gift guide can help. Tools for home, travel, and even warming your hands with a battery charger are here, plus a novel take on record players – it spins itself around the LP, which just sits motionless on a table!

Genetic testing is going mainstream, but is the science ready for prime time? The marketing of genetic tests to consumers raises short-term risks and may even threaten the longer-term promise of the technology.

Those putting their faith in technology to fix the inequalities and inefficiencies in global healthcare are missing big pieces of the puzzle. A wide-ranging discussion at Techonomy 2017 underscored some of the missed opportunities right in front of us.

At Sunday’s session of Techonomy 2017, Techonomy CEO David Kirkpatrick spoke about the future of automation and American business with GE Vice Chair Beth Comstock and Penny Pritzker, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and founder of PSP Capital Partners. The bottom line: there's still a lot of work to be done.

It's still hard to know what to do about genetic news that's discovered about a patient during sequencing for another reason. A small percentage of such tests turn up disturbing findings. Some people want to know, some don't, but figuring out what to do often vexes doctors and researchers. Debate about how to handle this problem is growing within the genetics world.

At the annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, Bill Gates told 7,000 geneticists that the world needs them to up the pace of innovation in order to solve our most pressing health challenges. Early childhood death, malaria, and pandemics are all dangers that may be mitigated by progress in this realm, he said, showing his characteristic optimism.

The MacArthur Foundation doesn't just give genius grants. It is now awarding $100 million to one project. Four impressive finalists were announced last week; read more within.

Genomic medicine may have hit the mainstream, but new genetic information will continually be discovered. And there remain extensive limitations to the value of the information that genetic tests can give you. How soon will these limitations be overcome and how much can we rely on genomic medicine now?

A new FDA-approved cancer gene therapy called CAR T recently showed astonishing effectiveness against leukemia in seriously ill patients. Despite their poor prognosis, 83 percent responded to the treatment, and the cancer medical establishment was blown away. But even as we celebrate a genuine breakthrough, consider the very serious and long-lasting side effects.

Why aren't "reformers" talking about making Americans healthier rather than taking a stilted, partisan approach to "healthcare reform"? Writer Meredith Salisbury says we are not asking some basic questions about U.S. insurance and policy. We've got to start.

The United States faces a biomedical funding crisis. The Trump administration has proposed budget cuts that would slash scientific research. Though Congress hasn't yet gone along, the fears that the process has generated are already causing tangible harm in the scientific community. Concern about cuts is stalling progress on drug discovery and other healthcare innovations.

For American healthcare to improve, institutions must be able to share data. But they can’t. HIPAA and restrictive consent forms are among the challenges to data accessibility. But new approaches are emerging, and it may usher a new open data era.

Technology's transformation of medicine was the focus of a panel at Techonomy Health with Brian Donley of Cleveland Clinic and Brent Shafer of Philips North America. They focused on how advances in tech will alter how patients receive care. The optimism was palpable, but for real breakthroughs, players across the American system need to better cooperate.

On a Techonomy Health panel on how data can drive healthcare, experts said improving the U.S. system demands lots of new technology and the data to fuel it, none of which is coming fast enough. And it requires innovators–and health institutions–willing to see ideas fail in order to find the greatest ones.

A panel at Techonomy Health in mid-May tackled the daunting and politically-charged question of how to redesign American healthcare. The best ideas look little like what we have today: universal health coverage, outcome-based care, and hospital systems that guarantee lower costs. Panelists looked to entrepreneurs for innovation. They agreed a huge obstacle is resistance to change among industry leaders.

Arianna Huffington surprised the audience at Techonomy Health in New York when she and the CMO of JPMorgan Chase explained how an emotionally-sensitive approach to defining “health” was being applied at the kind of corporate giants people often think of as soulless behemoths.

This weekend, people in over 500 cities around the world will join the first March for Science. I’ve been in life science for nearly 20 years and have never seen anything like this. Of course I’ve also never had such an urgent sense that it is necessary. From the medications you take to the synthetic fibers in your wrinkle-free clothes, science is already supporting you. Let’s return the favor.

It was a much-needed breakthrough when the FDA last week OK'd personal genomics company 23andMe selling genetic tests directly to consumers. In 2013 the agency had banned the startup from releasing disease-related information. Now we should finally see a consumer-driven marketplace for genomic data.

A new bill making its way through the House of Representatives would allow employers to require genetic testing for employees. It would be a massive setback, stripping Americans of genetic nondiscrimination protections that took years to put in place. If you value your right to privacy, contact your Congressperson.

Unlike other tiny mammals, bats and mole-rats live especially long lives. Now scientists are starting to understand why. At a time when interest in longevity is massive and growing, their answers might point the way toward useful knowledge about how we ourselves could last a bit longer.

Infectious disease outbreaks are occurring more often and with more complex infection patterns, making them harder to treat. While this is a very scary reality, new approaches to diagnosis, treatment and preparation for epidemics hold promise, reported top scientists at a recent conference called Advances in Genome Biology and Technology.

People are so opposed to GMOs that such food has often been banned, though studies find zero evidence it harms people. But paradoxically, when it comes to editing human genomes, many are eager to press forward. Yet here scientists themselves mostly call for caution, because little is known about long-term ramifications.

American women have made tremendous strides in science—in some areas they earn half of all doctorate degrees. But women remain at a significant disadvantage to men on a host of metrics, such as likelihood to win federal funding. The perception that science isn’t cool for girls remains rampant in grade schools. But we too often focus only on certain archetypes, when in fact myriad career paths are available. So let's celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Saturday February 11.

What do Americans want in healthcare reform? Lower costs. The best way to get there isn’t through insurance companies—and may very well be through government-sponsored programs like Medicare. If we continue to treat this topic as taboo, we may never find a better solution to the healthcare crisis.

As is our tradition, Techonomy waded through geek-friendly options to come up with this annual gift guide–tech-related presents that are clever, easy to use, and fun. Check your sunscreen, find your suitcase, talk to your house, or skateboard electrically for 10 miles with what's in this Santa's bag.

As is our tradition, Techonomy waded through geek-friendly options to come up with this annual gift guide–tech-related presents that are clever, easy to use, and fun. Check your sunscreen, find your suitcase, talk to your house, or skateboard electrically for 10 miles with what's in this Santa's bag.

With all the uncertainty around the Affordable Care Act, the Techonomy 2016 audience listened attentively to two experts in the field. Among other predictions, the speakers said digital health will unquestionably play a major role in healthcare moving forward, that the ACA will be harder to repeal than many might expect, and that reimbursement strategies are likely to shift to a more outcomes-based model.

Speakers on climate change at TE16 aimed to dispel the stigma associated with nuclear power and geo-engineering–controversial technologies that might help address the climate change caused by humankind’s use of fossil fuels. One said that radiation risks are actually a problem with coal-fueled power, too.

Medicine will be unrecognizable in the coming decades, with technology changes leading to better care at home, vanishing hospitals, and doctors who can monitor patients’ activity and health between visits. Leaders in various sectors who spoke at Techonomy 2016 contributed to the futuristic picture.

People may have a "yuck response" when they hear about this new experimental technique for creating healthy babies. But it isn't as huge a leap from what we're used to as most reports would suggest, as Techonomy's genomics expert explains. Like a top medical source she quotes here, Salisbury will be continuing this conversation at Techonomy 2016 on November 10.

In the last few years, the standard tests for fetal abnormalities have been largely replaced with new genetic tests. Since they launched, traditional procedures that confer a small risk of miscarriage have dropped by about 70 percent. Now we face a big ethical issue: these tests reveal much more about future diseases than those they replaced. What information should parents know, and what can and should they do about it?

If we're going to make progress in healthcare, we need to connect up the data. A report for the national Cancer Moonshot initiative highlights the massive problem disconnected databases have become in the fight against cancer. But this problem isn't limited to cancer. The well-intentioned HIPAA act of 1996, for example, included strict privacy controls that have turned into a problem for medical research generally.

If artificial organs, miniature robots, and advanced medications could keep you healthy, would you want to live for hundreds of years? Author Eve Herold's new book "Beyond Human" argues that we might as well get used to these ideas, because they are inevitably coming. Reviewer Salisbury finds this an important overview of a rapidly-developing field of medical science, but is not yet ready to join the immortals herself.

Progress in rare diseases has always been painfully slow, partly because so few are affected that study is challenging. Now, with social media, patients are able to band together, giving critical mass to efforts like fundraising and clinical trial enrollment that might otherwise wither away.

Lost in a news cycle rife with heartbreak, the Obama administration made a major push last week for its Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI). Also referred to as personalized medicine, precision medicine is based on the idea of using a trove of genetic and clinical information to determine ahead of time which drugs will work best for which patients, at which doses, and in which combinations. It could be the first step in an important breakthrough for American health.

Part incubator, part venture fund, part mentorship program, StartUp Health aims to create an ecosystem for digital health entrepreneurs. Backed by Steve Case, Mark Cuban, Jerry Levin, Esther Dyson, and GE Ventures, among others, five-year-old StartUp Health has 150 companies in its portfolio.

At Techonomy NYC last week, physician and author David Agus outlined a dazzling vision of a healthier society driven by digital and other tech innovations. But getting there requires leadership we now lack. We also need to aggressively engage consumers in their own health management.

In the not-distant future, crime scene analysts will be gathering a lot more than DNA. The microbiome, or the universe of bacteria and other microbes that live in and on us, is the latest target in forensics. DNA evidence can be hard to find at a crime scene, but criminals (and all of us) have trouble keeping microbes to themselves.

At a genomics conference last week, National Institutes of Health official Kathy Hudson provided an update on the government’s gigantic Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI). NIH aims to make real progress before the next president takes over–and to enable any American who wants to to take part.

A new bill introduced by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Mike Enzi would add important privacy protections for genetic data generated by federally funded scientists or housed in government databases. It aims to protect research participants who expect their data to remain confidential. Even if the bill passes, though, the genetic data may not always be protected. But some genomics leaders now say full protection may not even be possible.

A recently filed lawsuit suggests trouble may be brewing for the new era of genomic testing. A mother claims an inaccurate test result contributed to the death of her young son, who had a mitochondrial disorder. But interpreting genetic tests remains as much art as science, which we will have to accept if this field is to get on its feet. It would be a shame if such tragedies hindered the innovations that will ultimately make genomic medicine more reliable.

Matt and Kristen Wilsey consulted more than 100 doctors and scientists to identify their daughter Grace’s rare disease, persisting when suggested diagnoses didn’t seem quite right or when doctors had no answers at all. Finally genome sequencing ended their diagnostic odyssey—and made them crusaders for a better approach.

At a genomics conference in February, 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki took the stage to make the case for the scientific importance of her consumer genetics platform. Wojcicki still has a grand vision for how the service could help advance our understanding of human health, even as she acknowledges that recent restrictions imposed on the company by the FDA have left her more cautious about growth plans for 23andMe.

As many as half a million people have had their genomes sequenced. This data has already contributed to major medical success stories, but it is not yet clear that genomics can overcome the significant barriers that exist in traditional medicine to achieve its potential for American healthcare.

Editors of the New England Journal of Medicine called scientists who make discoveries from publicly-shared data “research parasites.” Outrage ensued. Too many scientists believe they get a competitive advantage from data no one else has access to.

President Obama’s optimistic language about finally nearing a cure for cancer in the State of the Union comes as creative approaches are showing more promise than ever. Two major announcements highlight important new opportunities to diagnose and treat cancer—and both are only possible because of advances in genomics.

It's ten years since the launch of the Personal Genome Project. PGP was the first attempt to assemble a massive study of people willing to publicly share the DNA information from their entire genome as well as their medical history, biological samples, and even facial images. A decade ago many thought it crazy. But it has been an extraordinary success.

With Black Friday lasting a full month this year, you may already be feeling some holiday-shopping fatigue. We’re here to help! Following our tradition, we searched high and low for Techonomic gifts to suit just about everyone on your list. Here’s what we’ll be shopping for this season.

With Thanksgiving approaching, Techonomy's resident champion of genomics details some things she's thankful for this year: Better Cancer Testing; Increased Data-Sharing Efforts; Scientists Who Push Boundaries (and Police Themselves Too); Living Foundries; and the FDA's Approval of the First DTC Genetic Test. She looks forward to more advances that will help regular consumers as programs like the federal Precision Medicine Initiative kick off.

Genomic medicine is on the horizon, and is likely to change healthcare. But there’s no shortage of challenges: regulations, data-sharing limits, funding, and lack of research participants, to name a few. But the biggest obstacle, surprisingly, is what's called "informed consent." That's what people need to agree to if they are to participate in research. And right now, each of us has a unique chance to minimize this obstacle by speaking out for a change.

Earlier this year, I moderated a panel discussion at Techonomy Bio and asked speakers whether genome sequencing was ready for the average consumer. Their responses were split. Having now just gotten my own genome sequenced, I can say definitively: yes it’s ready, and no it isn’t.

This morning, I helped analyze fish scales to better track migration patterns, by giving the scientists some cash. Crowdfunding has made a difference in all sorts of initiatives, so it’s no surprise to see it pop up in science. Experiment was built by scientists who believe alternative funding could fill a key gap in research.

A new company launched by the market leader in DNA sequencing aims to bring genomics to the masses. Helix, kicked off on August 18 with a capital injection of more than $100 million, appears to embrace a direct-to-consumer approach that hasn’t been seen since pioneer 23andMe's ready-to-mail spit kits. Given the FDA’s firm pushback against 23andMe, though, does Helix has a bright future?

A decade ago, biologist Ting Wu saw a need to promote education and interest in genetics among consumers, as well as to help scientists understand how the public views their research. Today, the initiative that resulted helps teachers and students, scientists, Congress, and even Hollywood writers and producers understand and spread the message that genetics is important and accessible.

Last week, a group of respected researchers published a commentary about the coming data challenges in genomics. Comparing the projected growth of genomic data to three other sources considered among the most prolific data producers in the world—astronomy, Twitter, and YouTube—these scientists predict that by 2025, genomics could well represent the biggest of big data fields. With the raw data for each human genome taking up about 100 GB, we’re well on our way. Genomics only recently entered the big data realm, and we have major issues to address before it leapfrogs every other data-generating group.

Early detection is one of the most effective ways to beat cancer. That’s why some recent studies, in which scientists detected it in people long before symptoms began, have cancer researchers so excited. The coolest part? These scientists weren’t even looking for signs of cancer. DNA-based detection tools have gotten sensitive enough that it now appears possible to identify precancerous cells. This ability to spot precancerous cells could become pivotal in oncology. It could also be problematic.

A breakthrough method that makes editing the genes of living beings relatively easy, called CRISPR, is much in the news these days. So are the many implications—both terrifying and promising—associated with it. The seemingly endless possibilities of genome editing have even the scientific community on edge, and it’s stirring up heated debate about where the ethical limits are. At the moment, most of the calls for restraint in the use of CRISPR are coming directly from scientists, but it won’t be long before government officials or candidates hoping to be elected start airing their opinions about how this field should be regulated. It’s worth taking a moment to consider how different modes of oversight could affect the opportunities afforded us by genome editing.

When you get your cholesterol levels after a blood test, you may grumble about the new diet your doctor recommends or the statins you have to take—but you probably don’t wonder whether the levels were wrong. We know clinical lab results are tightly regulated, so we take their accuracy as a given. Assuming the same thing about lab results from a genetic test, however, could be a mistake.

We are in the earliest days of understanding the human microbiome—the communities of microbes that live in and on our bodies—but already scientists are getting a sense of the incredible complexity of this ecosystem and its interaction with us. These advances were made possible just in the past decade by the latest DNA sequencers and other technologies that can scan and analyze huge numbers of microbes at a time. This understanding may enable radical new techniques for weight control, among other revolutionary implications.

At Advances in Genome Biology and Technology, a conference for genomic scientists held earlier this year, one speaker told attendees that the use of genome sequencing to improve patient care is no longer a far-off goal—it’s happening today. While you won’t encounter genome sequencing on an average visit to the ER, there are certain clinical areas where this technology has indeed become routine: cancer, pediatric care, the diagnosis and treatment of ultra rare diseases, and a few others.

The over 200 people who descended on the Computer History Museum in the heart of Silicon Valley last week for the second annual Techonomy Bio event learned we were heading toward growing meat, cell phones, and houses. They learned as well that we are in a renaissance of progress in human health. But they also heard thoughts on why we have more allergies and worries about how the public thinks about science. The daylong program ranged from stem cells and bio-architecture to venture capital and public opinion about science, but the common thread was the intersection of progress in the dual realms of life science and information technology. As speakers noted throughout the day, the intersection of big data and biology has helped create a field ripe for breakthroughs.

Maybe it was the Jolie effect. Or you want to find out if you’re carrying a silent genetic mutation that could be passed on to a child. Or perhaps you’re just really hoping you can blame your DNA for how awful cilantro tastes. Whatever the reason, you’re interested in finding out something about your genome. Now what? Though consumer genetic testing and personal genome sequencing are still nascent fields, every indication suggests that the public will have a virtually insatiable appetite for genetic data. And as scientists get better at establishing links between DNA and diseases or specific traits, that demand will only increase. But are we ready for this data?

The Internet of Things (IoT) has a lot to offer in the medical realm, but such connectivity lags far behind what's happening with other consumer goods and electronics. A few early glimpses of possibilities in this field show there are tremendous advantages to be had if we can get past these current hurdles and establish a bio-based IoT. (A session entitled "The Internet of (Bio)things" at the upcoming Techonomy Bio conference on March 25 in Mountain View explores this question.)

Talking about science is a lot harder than it should be. We talk all the time about things we don’t fully understand: the polar vortex, how footballs can get underinflated during games, why the Kardashians still get so much attention. We’re not experts in these areas, but we’re happy to weigh in with theories and opinions. But when it comes to scientific topics, both scientists and lay people hide behind the excuse that the general public in this country simply doesn’t have the education to process such complex information.

For all the attention that President Obama’s precision medicine initiative has garnered in the weeks since he first mentioned it in his State of the Union address, you’d think the program was the next version of the Human Genome Project. But unlike that effort, which was a wildly audacious push to revolutionize biology and medicine, the modest new initiative—and its $215 million price tag—seems downright underwhelming.

Direct-to-consumer genomics company 23andMe announced two research partnerships with pharmaceutical companies earlier this month. Since then, a lot of pundits have sounded positively appalled by the development. It reminds me of that great scene in "Casablanca" when Captain Renault says, “I’m shocked—shocked—to find that gambling is going on in here!” as he collects his own winnings.

The world breaks down into two camps, my genetic counselor said: people who want information, and people who don’t. I’ve been writing about gene testing and genomics for a long time, but as I navigated my own recent journey in genetic testing, I learned why that divide will probably remain the biggest hurdle to achieving the promise of genomics. Despite the enthusiasm I hear regularly from genomics experts I talk to about the clinical power of genetic tests, getting my own medical professionals to order the genetic test for BRCA, the mutation linked to breast cancer, was a challenge.

We’ve recovered from our Thanksgiving-induced food coma, which can only mean one thing: it’s time for the annual Techonomy gift guide to help with your holiday shopping. We scoured the interwebs to bring you this assortment of innovative, fun gift ideas for the tech-loving people on your shopping list.

There’s a battle brewing between hospital labs and the FDA, and caught in the crosshairs are patients—the one group both sides say they are trying to help. At issue is how these labs are regulated, which has major implications for how quickly they can respond to new health problems, such as viral outbreaks.

Technology is driving a fundamental shift in how we think about health. Increasingly, ordinary people can utilize devices, apps, medical tests, and data analysis to take charge of their health in a proactive way. In the past, our whole system focused on patients—sick people who more or less did what they were told by doctors. The big future business opportunity may be in helping consumers store and interpret what they gather from devices, sensors, and tests. We could certainly use tools that pull disparate data together and assemble it into a big picture.

An NYU exhibit about the history of the eugenics movement is more than a look back: it’s a timely reminder in the age of genomics that we have a social responsibility to consider not only what’s medically and scientifically possible, but also the potential social consequences. Otherwise we could start making decisions that future generations would find to be as shameful as 20th century eugenics appears to us.

Recent innovations in DNA analysis have given scientists and epidemiologists new ways to track and treat outbreaks, and many of these tools are already being deployed in the battle against Ebola and other diseases. Technologies at work today, as well as those expected in the years to come, will be of real utility in helping the biomedical community understand these pathogens better, provide a real-time warning system about outbreaks, and trace their source and spread over time.

Two decades ago, Mary-Claire King made one of the most important contributions to modern healthcare when she discovered the first gene linked to breast cancer. Now, she’s trying to one-up herself. King, a genetics pioneer who won a major scientific award this week from the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, has issued a call to change how we think about gene testing in an approach she believes will prevent cancer, not just catch it early. (And if you’ve never met King, the fact that she’s using her award to shed light on a serious public health need rather than to celebrate her own career tells you a little something about her character.)

We often hear that scientists hoard data, refusing to share information even when doing so might speed advances to patients in dire need. It’s not just about sharing results on the fly—once a project has been completed and findings published in a journal, most of us observers outside major institutions still can’t get access due to expensive subscriptions. The situation is made all the more unpalatable since most biomedical research is funded by taxpayer dollars. Yet the average taxpayer has little ability to see what comes of that funding.

In a new book called "The Biologist’s Imagination," authors William Hoffman and Leo Furcht from the University of Minnesota Medical School take a spin through the history of biological innovation in an effort to shed light on current trends and expected future developments. The authors weave historical threads—such as pioneering studies of genetic traits in the mid-19th century and the effects of the animals and diseases brought to the Americas in the wake of Columbus crossing the Atlantic—to help readers make sense of what’s happening today.The book covers a number of topics relevant to Techonomy, so we chatted with Hoffman to find out more.

Nic Volker. Beatrice Rienhoff. Alexis and Noah Beery. If you happen to be a scientist or clinician in the genomics field, you already know the topic of this article just from those four names. Each is a child who suffered from a mysterious or even one-of-a-kind disease. Collectively, they endured years in hospitals, met dozens of doctors, took countless tests to achieve that precious objective: a diagnosis. And for each of these kids, DNA sequencing was critical to providing that answer.

Decades ago, “personalized medicine” meant “don’t give penicillin to the person who is fatally allergic to it.” Today, the phrase is shorthand for the ambitious but achievable concept of targeting medications to a specific group of people, based on genetic information, disease progression, biomarkers, and other factors. Still, there’s a small but growing force in the biomedical community that takes the notion of “personalized medicine” much further. For them the term is used literally—they aim for treatment options custom-crafted for the unique snowflakes that we are.

There is nothing that turns the collective stomach quite like the word “Frankenfood.” It’s an instant warning to avoid such food. Frankenfood, of course, refers to plants that have been genetically modified in some way. GMOs, as these genetically modified organisms are known, have been more or less accepted in some countries such as the U.S., but have been banned in many others due to public outcry, particularly in Europe. It is tough to restore the public image of something once it has acquired such a viscerally-effective label. In the next few decades, it is very unlikely that GMO-based food will become accepted in countries where it is currently banned.

As we move closer to an era when a sequence of every human genome is the norm, an important question looms: who will own this data? It seems intuitive to many of us that each person owns his or her genetic data and therefore should control access. But the reality is more complex. The concept of data ownership is so contentious in part because of its nature. Data moves, it morphs, and most of us can’t even say where it lives. (“The cloud” is not an answer.) For people who grew up thinking that possession is nine-tenths of the law, data is too slippery to fit into the usual framework.

If the idea of having everyone’s genome sequenced at birth brings images to your mind from "Blade Runner" or "Gattaca," you’re not alone. The tremendous potential of understanding and using genomic information from birth to death suggests motives both beneficent and nefarious. This path is quite realistic, given the galloping state of modern genomic science. That’s one reason genomics will loom large at our upcoming Techonomy Bio conference in Mountain View, Calif., on June 17. In this article we conduct a Techonomy thought exercise: envisioning a world in which everyone has his or her genome sequenced at birth (or, in some cases, even earlier).

Most people want to control certain kinds of data. Consider banking information: you may share account access with a spouse, but beyond that, you won’t hand those reins to anybody. It’s not just high-security data, either. Who doesn’t know married couples who insist on separate Netflix accounts, so one person’s movie choices don’t mess up the other’s queue? But when it comes to our health information, it’s a different story. Why is it that with this data—the closest we are likely to come to having life-or-death information—we throw our hands in the air and hope medical professionals make the right choices?

These are boom times for progress in genetic testing, but restrictions limiting access are delaying benefits we could all be experiencing right now. The National Institutes of Health maintains a Genetic Testing Registry, which currently lists some 15,000 available genetic tests. Together, they can single out 2,800 genes for some 4,000 medical conditions—and that’s not factoring in the rapidly growing exome or genome sequencing tests that look at all known genes. With so many tests out there, there’s a good chance that one exists to scan for whatever diseases may run in your family. But you may not be able to get those tests. Direct consumer access has always been tricky in U.S. medicine, and the FDA’s crackdown on consumer genetic testing firm 23andMe last year has providers running scared.

There’s been a lot of attention paid to the tremendous progress in making DNA sequencing so cheap that scanning a person’s genome could cost just $1,000. This pricing free-fall has occurred markedly faster than with comparable drops for other technologies, such as computers. Most people would assume that credit is due mostly to the progress made by companies, but in reality the man most responsible for approaching the $1,000 genome is Jeffery Schloss, an unassuming federal employee who works as a program director for the National Human Genome Research Institute.

At a recent scientific meeting for researchers working with DNA sequencing tools, Joe DeRisi from the University of California, San Francisco, gave a riveting presentation about the medical case of a young boy with acute encephalitis. The talk offered a glimpse into the tremendous clinical potential for DNA sequencing—and simultaneously highlighted just how far this technology still is from the mainstream. DeRisi is known for a major coup in 2003 when he led the first American team to identify SARS. At the time, the coronavirus was still an unknown terror sweeping across Asia. His lab focuses on identifying pathogens, which is how DeRisi got involved in the case of the young boy with encephalitis.

Here at Techonomy’s home in New York City, we, like so many across the United States, are enduring one of the snowiest winters on record. Being snowbound at home, the office, and on mass transit has given us plenty of time to think about tools and technologies that could help us make this season a bit less unpleasant. Since the groundhogs agree that we’re facing six more weeks of cold, here’s a list of gadgets you’ll need to get by. We've grouped them by cold-weather personality type.

Now that we have recapped the major trends of 2013, let's look ahead to what will be exciting in 2014 in life sciences. In the past couple years, scientists have gone from the first proof it was possible to sequence the genome of a fetus using cells from a mother’s blood, to doing it a number of successful ways. Ethical considerations aside, this is a remarkable scientific achievement that has major implications for clinical utility.

Unless you manage somehow to live off the grid (in which case you probably don't read articles at Techonomy) you are no doubt getting inundated with holiday promotions, news about Black Friday, and reminders of your gift history from any website where you ever bought anything. All of these signs point to a central conclusion: it’s time for the second annual Techonomy holiday gift guide! Our wishlist should appeal to those in your life who value science and technology, sustainable living, or just cool stuff.

Nine months into federal budget sequestration, there’s no shortage of studies, articles, and speculation about how trimmed funding is having an impact on the U.S. There is far less work going into figuring out how to right the ship. One answer, painful to many scientists, is that they have to become a little better at marketing. Otherwise we will end up with less visionary science. In the life sciences, the sequestration cut 4.9 percent from the budget of the National Institutes of Health, a move that has already been felt at universities, research organizations, and medical centers around the country.

Affordable genome sequencing has brought with it a host of ethical debates. Who owns the data? Who can access the data? Should we sequence children? But the debate most likely to directly affect you in the next few years is this: what happens if your physician has your genome sequenced and finds something that she wasn’t looking for?

There have been any number of approaches to managing Down syndrome or reducing its symptoms. But developmental biologist Jeanne Lawrence and her team at the University of Massachusetts Medical School have taken a different tack, borrowing a biological mechanism honed by thousands of years of evolution and creatively applying it to try to nip Down syndrome in the bud.

At last week’s 5th annual Consumer Genetics Conference, hundreds of scientists, clinicians, app developers, and analytical experts convened to talk about DNA analysis for healthcare and consumer applications. The good news: legions of clever, highly motivated people are working hard to make sense of the human genome and help the rest of us lead better lives. The bad news: major impediments stand in the way of free-flowing, useful genomic information. Here are the top five hurdles to be cleared before you will have ready access to your DNA information so you can improve your health and your life.

“Citizen science” is trendy. From keynote presentations at major scientific conferences to official recognition from the White House, citizen science seems to be everywhere. But what exactly is it? Broadly defined, citizen science covers any activity by which regular people are contributing to scientific research, or integrating science more closely in their day-to-day lives. (We’ve already seen how people are getting involved through crowdsourcing; this new trend goes a step further.) Citizen scientists are those who believe in the power of technology and research—and are finding ways to advance their lives and those of others by embracing a scientific approach.

The Supreme Court’s ruling last month to strike down gene patents is unlikely to have a widespread impact on the genetic field, as is already being made evident by new lawsuits from Myriad Genetics against rival gene testing services. In the long run, it may be technological advances rather than legal maneuvers that end the debate. The case generated quite a buzz at the time, as a large group of molecular pathologists and other plaintiffs charged that they couldn’t properly treat their patients without being able to test genes linked to breast cancer, the most well-known of which were locked up in patents held by Myriad and a few other organizations.

Social networking for scientists has been tried before, but not until recently have we seen investors placing big bets in this area. Earlier this year, the academic networking site Mendeley was acquired by scientific publisher Elsevier for somewhere in the ballpark of $70 million. And today brings a new data point: Berlin-based ResearchGate, a site designed to facilitate collaborations and data sharing among scientists around the world, has raised $35 million in a series C round from investors including Bill Gates.

It’s no secret that crowdsourcing has been a successful approach in many industries. Even complex and technical topics can be addressed this way; one great example is Foldit, an online game that lets regular people design efficient protein structures. Those designs are submitted to a top protein laboratory, which tests to see whether predicted structures match the real-life structures of specific proteins. In the biomedical community, though, Foldit is an outlier. The concept of pulling in as many minds and resources as possible to solve a problem, though proven to work repeatedly in other industries, has not gained real traction in life sciences.

Here’s a holiday you’ve probably never celebrated: April 25 is DNA Day! It honors the publication of the original 1953 paper from James Watson, Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin, and others first describing the double-helix structure of DNA. In more recent times, the day has also commemorated the Human Genome Project, declared complete in April 2003. This year, DNA Day marks the 60th anniversary of Watson and Crick’s discovery as well as the Human Genome Project’s 10th anniversary.

One thing was clear at last night’s New York premiere of Decoding Annie Parker, a movie about a woman with breast cancer: the film is a labor of love made by people who believe the dramatized true story they tell is important. No major studios were involved, and though it has a top-shelf cast (including Helen Hunt, Bradley Whitford, Rashida Jones, and Aaron Paul), the actors agreed to work for a fraction of their usual fees. When Annie Parker opens in select theaters this summer, it will be because a group of writers, donors, and cancer advocates were committed to sharing the lessons of Annie’s story.

There’s growing debate in the biomedical community about the most valuable view of the human genome: a wide panoramic snapshot showing the whole thing, or a zoomed-in image of just where the action is. This is not just an academic discussion: the outcome will have significant implications in how patients are treated for a range of medical conditions.

Even as life-science companies pound out DNA sequencing improvements fast enough to make the computing industry look downright sedentary, the industry has been hindered in implementing its many advances so they can help patients in clinical settings. One major cause is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has asserted it will regulate these next-generation sequencing tools—but has not yet decided what will be regulated, how evaluations will take place, or when this oversight might kick in. With widespread uncertainty about the regulatory environment, companies developing genomic products for clinical use have been in limbo, and the venture capitalists who haven’t fled the space are tightening their belts.

It’s still early enough in the year that we’re all still reminding ourselves to write “2013” instead of “2012”—which means that it’s just the right time to be considering what this new year has in store for us. Every news service loves to make predictions, and here at Techonomy we’re no different. So here are our best guesses for what’s to come for the life sciences field in 2013.

With the holidays drawing near, we thought it was the perfect time to look at the top items on any Techonomic wishlist—gifts that make the most of advances in science and technology to help build a better life. Whether “better” means fuller, healthier, or simply more fun is entirely up to you.

We have heard debates, convention speeches, and campaign events with lots of talk about jobs and foreign oil and national security. But what about where the candidates stand on another matter critical to innovation in our country and the future of healthcare: life sciences?

One of the biggest hopes when the $3 billion Human Genome Project launched two decades ago was that it would one day put lots of basic genetic information into the hands of the general public. It's taken a long time, and many argue that the whole project was a waste of money. But in research labs and technology incubators, real advances are underway. The nascent field of consumer genetics is starting to fulfill the potential of the Human Genome Project.