Scarred For Life: The Epigenetics of Fear

October 30, 2018 Lisa Fox

When someone is truly scared or traumatized, they might say they were “scarred for life”. While this might seem like a metaphor, recent studies show that fear might actually leave permanent epigenetic marks on your DNA, marks you could potentially pass down to your children or grandchildren. Fear is a basic biological process. In their lifetime everyone has experienced it in one form or another, and we are all afraid of different things.  From fear of physical things like spiders, [more…]

Epigenetic Marks on DNA May Indicate Breast Cancer Risks

October 9, 2018 Lisa Fox

It’s hard not to know someone who has been affected by breast cancer. Nearly one in eight women will battle this disease in her lifetime and for those women affected it becomes the battle for their life. Early detection and medical advances stem the tide of this disease, but each study brings us a little closer to unlocking ways to combat it. While women (and men) with a family history are at higher risk for developing breast cancer, a recent [more…]

Epigenetics and Diet May Determine Who Becomes Queen Bee

September 18, 2018 Lisa Fox

Swords and stones might determine royalty in England, but scientists discovered that in honeybees, the deciding factor may be epigenetics. A recent study suggests that histone modifications, including histone methylation and histone acetylation, could determine whether bee larvae develop into workers or a queen. Interestingly, the bees’ diet was found to influence these epigenetic marks. Diet can have a significant impact in human epigenetics, and could influence a person’s disease risk and mental ability. “Think of the genome as the [more…]

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