What is heartburn, and how might DNA influence its treatment?

Heartburn, sometimes called acid reflux, is an all-too-common condition that leaves sufferers feeling nauseous and confused. It’s hard to know exactly what’s causing it, let alone what to do about it. Fortunately, in the late...

The evolution of basketball dynasties

Over the next three weeks, 62 collegiate teams will compete in a “survival of the fittest”-style tournament: winners will play winners, losers will go home. That phrase—”survival of the fittest”—evokes Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution...

This is how Helix has made me a better engineer

Before joining Helix, all I knew about DNA was that it could be used to find biological parents if a child is abducted. After joining, it took me no time to realize that our DNA...

Challenging the status quo: Who was Percy Julian?

Percy Julian was an African-American research chemist who came to be recognized as one of the greatest chemists of the 1900s. Born a single generation out of slavery, he was awarded the very first McNaughton...

Feeding a nation: Dr. Cecile Hoover Edwards

Sometimes, reading about history will reveal someone truly amazing—someone who faced unimaginable adversity and still defied all the odds to do world-changing things. Dr. Cecile Hoover Edwards is one such person. An African-American woman born...

Exploring an important link between DNA and hearing loss

Alone, they’re silent—mere waves passing energy between objects. But when these waves are funneled into your inner ear, that energy is transformed into sound. In essence, communication is pretty simple: all you need is the...

Tracing human development with chickens: Mary Logan Reddick

One becomes two, two becomes four, and before long, there are trillions of cells. It’s an awe-inspiring process to see an animal progress through embryonic development—cells dividing, moving, and morphing in what looks to be...