Jacob Sherkow

Polygenic risk scores (PGSs) are used to predict an individual’s risk for particular conditions using data from multiple genes. Although the scores may be able to provide valuable insight into disorders, such as type 2 diabetes risk, without a health care professional, they can be misused. In a new article, researchers from the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology and Harvard Medical School argue for increased regulation of genetic tests by the US Food and Drug Administration, specifically in regard to PGSs.

Police are increasingly using genomic databases in their investigations. Concerningly, they often do so without a warrant requirement. A new paper co-written by Illinois faculty presents possible technological solutions, such as phone applications, that will ensure Fourth Amendment protections of consumer’s genomic data.

A new paper co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign legal scholar argues that the state of California’s proposal to manufacture and distribute insulin at cost could be a game-changer for curbing out-of-control price increases on insulin and a boon to public health.

A new paper co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign legal scholar who studies intellectual property protection for advanced biotechnologies advocates for a middle ground in patent claims involving antibodies, the backbone of modern bioscience.

The Earth BioGenome Project, launched in November 2018, is an ambitious undertaking with the goal of sequencing all the existing, named eukaryotes—about 2 million species of fungi, plants, and animals—in a 10-year timeframe. The project was highlighted in “The Earth BioGenome Project: The Launch of a Moonshot for Biology Special Feature” in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

A new paper co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign scholar who studies the legal and ethical implications of advanced biotechnologies outlines an unexplored tool to regulate the medically and ethically dubious practice of heritable human-genome editing: patent law.

Vaccine passports strike the right balance between letting life go on for those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 while still being realistic about the ongoing public health crisis in the U.S., said Jacob S. Sherkow, a professor of law at Illinois and bioethics expert.

Genome editing of human embryos represents one of the most contentious potential scientific applications today. But what if geneticists could sidestep the controversy by editing sperm and eggs instead?

Well-intentioned “citizen scientists” developing homemade COVID-19 vaccines may believe they’re inoculating themselves against the ongoing pandemic, but the practice of self-experimentation with do-it-yourself medical innovations is fraught with important legal, ethical and public health issues, according to a new paper in the journal Science co-written by a University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign legal expert who studies the policy implications of advanced biotechnologies.