Epigenetics

Epigenetics

On the left : The cover of TIME magazine

« The new science of epigenetics reveals how the choices you make can change your genes – and those of your kids »

January 2012

Great Article on Epigenetics :
http://umr218.curie.fr/en/research-unit/chromosomes-and-epigenetics/chromosomes-and-epigenetics-001245

Armelle Corpet & Geneviève Almouzni. Science et Avenir. Dec 2006-Jan 2007
“If we compare the DNA sequence to notes in the score of a symphony, epigenetics refers to the nuances, the alterations, or the rhythm that allows the conductor to understand how the score should be read. Each cell interprets its genetic score in its own way, and therefore the cells play different symphonies.”

What is Epigenetics?

(Source : http://epigenome.eu)

Conrad Waddington (1905-1975) is often credited with coining the term epigenetics in 1942 as “the branch of biology which studies the causal interactions between genes and their products, which bring the phenotype into being”.

(…) The field of epigenetics has emerged to bridge the gap between nature and nurture. In the 21st century you will most commonly find epigenetics defined as ‘the study of heritable changes in genome function that occur without a change in DNA sequence‘.

(…) “I would take a picture of a computer and say that the hard disk is like DNA, and then the programmes are like the epigenome. You can access certain information from the hard disk using the programmes on the computer. But there are certain password protected areas and those which are open. I would say we’re trying to understand why there are passwords for certain regions and why other regions are open.“
Jörn Walter (Scientist, Saarland, Germany)

“Epigenetics has always been all the weird and wonderful things that can’t be explained by genetics.”
Denise Barlow (Scientist, Vienna, Austria)