Epigenetics is the study of how environmental factors and behaviors change gene expression. These changes are reversible and don't alter the DNA sequence - but they can change how the body reads DNA. The consensus definition requires a trait to be heritable for it to be considered epigenetic. Continue reading ...

Epigenetic 'scars' on the genome can be passed down by grandmothers, study finds   Live Science - March 14, 2025

There are markers that sit on top of DNA and change over the course of one's lifetime, and they can even be passed down to future generations. These "epigenetic" markers alter how genes are expressed - without changing their codes - and they can change based on a person's experiences and environment. Research suggests that stressful events can tweak a person's epigenetics - but what happens on a larger scale? How do people's epigenetics change, for example, in a population exposed to upheaval or violence multiple times over generations?

Activating complex regions of the genome to treat rare diseases: Researchers identify a master epigenetic switch   Medical Express - February 14, 2025

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a promising new approach that could be used to treat a rare and complex class of genetic diseases caused by defects in a relatively large region of the genome.

Study reveals key role of epigenetic information in stem cell function   Medical Express - September 5, 2023

Researchers revealed the importance of the transmission of epigenetic information through cell division for embryonic stem cells functionality. This has broad implications for aging, cancer, and regenerative medicine.

We Know How Sperm 'Remember' And Pass on Non-DNA-Coded Traits to Embryos   Science Alert - October 15, 2022

Studies in mammals have shown that the 'memories' of various environmental effects - such as diet, weight, and stress - can be passed on from fathers to offspring, despite these effects not being coded for in the DNA sequences carried by sperm. Studies in mammals have shown that the 'memories' of various environmental effects - such as diet, weight, and stress - can be passed on from fathers to offspring, despite these effects not being coded for in the DNA sequences carried by sperm.

Epigenetics study helps focus search for autism risk factors   Medical Express - January 16, 2018
Scientists have long tried to pin down the causes of autism spectrum disorder. Recent studies have expanded the search for genetic links from identifying genes toward epigenetics, the study of factors that control gene expression and looks at chemical modifications of DNA and the proteins associated with it. The challenge is knowing where to look, given that our genome is comprised of more than three billion nucleotides, or building blocks, of DNA.