Genetic research has a serious diversity problem

Teddy Rosenbluth
·2 min read

N&O Innovation and Technology Newsletter: July 1, 2022

Today’s newsletter is 488 words, a 3.8-minute read.

Genetic research has a diversity problem.

A new study out of UNC analyzed more than 5,000 epigenetic experiments and found that the vast majority of them exclusively used gene samples from white people.

Charles Breeze, one of the paper’s authors, said the the lack of diversity in the basic science could mean fewer treatments for diseases that disproportionately affect people of color, like kidney disease.

“It’s not just European-origin individuals who have better access to health care,” he said. “They also have better access to the underlying science behind the health care.”

To learn more about how this lack of diversity came to be and how it may impact future medical treatments, click here.

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Tech news from the Triangle

  • NC State computer model shows where EV charging stations should be — and can be [N&O]

  • A Housing Shortage Grows, But How Will It Impact The Triangle’s Tech Ecosystem? [GrepBeat]

  • NC budget aims to bring $4.8 billion chip-making plant, 1,800 jobs to Chatham County [N&O]

My five must-reads of the week

  • Search history has already been used as evidence against women seeking an abortion in some states. Now, experts fear period tracking apps could be weaponized in a post-Roe world. [WIRED]

  • In some dystopian news, some designer fashion brands are now selling clothes for avatars in the Metaverse. Balenciaga and Thom Browne have unveiled outfits that will be sold at a newly opened virtual fashion store. [NYT]

  • A researcher tasked an A.I. algorithm with writing a scholarly article… about itself. The result was a paper that looked almost indiscernible from a human writing and raised some thorny ethical questions about publishing. [Scientific American]

  • Returning to the office has been inconvenient for some. For others, it’s life threatening. This story delves into how office mandates are exacerbating inequities related to health conditions, disabilities and discrimination. [WaPo]

  • Horrifyingly, some high schools are holding mock-school-shootings to help students prepare for the agonizing choices they would face in a real attack. The simulation is complete with fake blood, screaming children and participation from the fire department. [NYT Mag]

Other Triangle business

  • Popular Transfer Co. eatery will depart Raleigh food hall for a new headquarters [N&O]

  • Hemp, CBD set to get permanent legal status after 11th-hour rescue by NC legislature [N&O]

  • This Triangle city has been named the best place to live in 2022 [N&O]

Let me know what you’re seeing. Email me at trosenbluth@newsobserver.com. Tweet me @teddyrosenbluth.

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This newsletter was produced with financial support from a coalition of partners led by Innovate Raleigh as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work. Learn more; go to bit.ly/newsinnovate