Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

What is Genetic Engineering?

What is Genetic Engineering?

Pleiotropy

Pleiotropy

Pleiotropy is the phenomenon in which a single gene impacts multiple, seemingly unrelated phenotypic traits. For example, defects in the SOX10 gene cause Waardenburg Syndrome Type 4, or WS4, which can cause defects in pigmentation, hearing impairments, and an absence of intestinal contractions necessary for elimination. This diversity of phenotypes results from the expression pattern of SOX10 in early embryonic and fetal development. SOX10 is found in neural crest cells that form melanocytes,...

Genetic Screens

Genetic Screens

Genetic screens are tools used to identify genes and mutations responsible for phenotypes of interest. Genetic screens help identify individuals or a group of people at risk of developing genetic diseases and help them with early intervention, targeted therapy, and reproductive options.
Forward genetic screens
Forward or “classical” genetic screens involve creating random mutations in an organism’s DNA using radiation, mutagens, or insertion of additional bases, which result in visible changes...

Genetic Variation

Genetic Variation

Genetic variation is the diversity in DNA sequences found among individuals of the same species. This diversity is crucial for a species' survival because it helps organisms adapt to environmental changes. Genetic variation begins with fertilization, where an egg and sperm cell merge. Each of these cells carries 23 chromosomes, up to 46 in the fertilized egg. Chromosomes are long DNA strands that contain genes, the basic units of heredity.
Genes exist in different versions called alleles, which...

Heritability

Heritability

Heritability is a statistical concept that measures the degree to which genetic differences among individuals contribute to trait variations within a population. It is a fundamental idea in genetics, often prone to misinterpretation. Heritability is expressed as a percentage, reflecting the proportion of variation in a specific trait across a population that can be linked to genetic differences. However, it's important to understand that heritability does not determine how "genetic" a trait is,...

Genetic Material

Genetic Material

Within the human body, a complex and detailed system of trillions of cells works in unison to sustain life. Each cell houses a nucleus, which contains 46 chromosomes divided into 23 pairs. Chromosomes are highly coiled structures made of the genetic material DNA. These chromosomes are essential carriers of genetic information, with half inherited from the mother through her egg and the other half from the father's sperm, combining to create the unique genetic makeup of an individual.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Late Pregnancy Antiseizure Medication Exposure and Offspring Neurodevelopmental Risk: A Multi-Child Cohort Study.

Annals of neurology·2025

Same author

COVID-19 Infections Still Occur: How Do Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Individuals Compare? A Study from the Canadian Mother-Child Initiative on Drug Safety in Pregnancy (CAMCCO).

International journal of environmental research and public health·2025

Same author

Single-cell analysis of oxidative phosphorylation protein expression in pancreatic islets in type 2 diabetes.

The Journal of endocrinology·2025

Same author

Fatal Obstetrical Hemorrhage: A 20-Year Analysis From Ontario.

Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Canada : JOGC = Journal d'obstetrique et gynecologie du Canada : JOGC·2025

Same author

Mortality After Childbirth Among Black Persons in Ontario: A Call for Better Race-Based and Sociodemographic Data.

Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Canada : JOGC = Journal d'obstetrique et gynecologie du Canada : JOGC·2025

Same author

Shingrix vaccination for recurrent genital herpes: a real-world clinic experience.

Sexually transmitted infections·2025

Same journal

Americans' perspectives on forensic and scientific genomic biobanks: Engaging with new technologies for democratic decision-making.

Politics and the life sciences : the journal of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences·2026

Same journal

International Cooperation & Assistance in the Biological & Toxin Weapons Convention: Strengthening BWC Assurance through Article X.

Politics and the life sciences : the journal of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences·2026

Same journal

Toward individualistic reproduction: Solving the fertility crisis could require a further marginalization of men.

Politics and the life sciences : the journal of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences·2026

Same journal

Managerial imperatives for health-security information sharing: Balancing confidentiality and utility amid a deepening interface.

Politics and the life sciences : the journal of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences·2026

Same journal

Conspiracy thinking in American politics.

Politics and the life sciences : the journal of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences·2026

Same journal

Gain-of-function virology as dual-use research of concern: Variations of securitization in the United States.

Politics and the life sciences : the journal of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Preparation and Gene Modification of Nonhuman Primate Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells

Preparation and Gene Modification of Nonhuman Primate Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells

Published on: February 15, 2019

Enhancing genetic virtue.

¹Richard L. Hedden Chair of Advanced Philosophical Studies, Department of Philosophy, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001, USA. mwalker@nmsu.edu

Politics and the Life Sciences : the Journal of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences

|March 9, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The Genetic Virtue Project (GVP) proposes using biotechnology to find and enhance genetic correlates of virtuous behavior. This interdisciplinary effort aims to improve human ethics by understanding the biological basis of personality traits linked to virtue.

More Related Videos

Shifting Zebrafish Lethal Skeletal Mutant Penetrance by Progeny Testing

Shifting Zebrafish Lethal Skeletal Mutant Penetrance by Progeny Testing

Published on: September 1, 2017

Breeding by Design for Functional Rice with Genome Editing Technologies

Breeding by Design for Functional Rice with Genome Editing Technologies

Published on: January 3, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Preparation and Gene Modification of Nonhuman Primate Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells

Preparation and Gene Modification of Nonhuman Primate Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells

Published on: February 15, 2019

Shifting Zebrafish Lethal Skeletal Mutant Penetrance by Progeny Testing

Shifting Zebrafish Lethal Skeletal Mutant Penetrance by Progeny Testing

Published on: September 1, 2017

Breeding by Design for Functional Rice with Genome Editing Technologies

Breeding by Design for Functional Rice with Genome Editing Technologies

Published on: January 3, 2025

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Behavioral Genetics
Ethics

Background:

Virtues are proposed as enduring personality traits with a genetic basis.
Human nature may contain elements contributing to generic 'evil'.
Biotechnology offers potential for ethical enhancement.

Purpose of the Study:

To propose the Genetic Virtue Project (GVP) as an interdisciplinary endeavor.
To explore the empirical plausibility of genetic correlates for virtues.
To argue for the moral necessity of using GVP for moral enhancement.

Main Methods:

Interdisciplinary collaboration between philosophers, psychologists, and geneticists.
Leveraging existing evidence for the genetic basis of personality traits.
Philosophical and ethical argumentation for moral enhancement.

Main Results:

The study outlines the theoretical framework for the GVP.
It establishes the empirical plausibility of linking virtues to genetic factors.
It presents a moral argument for pursuing ethical enhancement.

Conclusions:

The GVP is presented as a viable, albeit controversial, approach to enhancing human ethics.
The project necessitates addressing ethical and political criticisms.
Further research into the genetic basis of personality and behavior is implied.