Cracking the epigenetic code

A team of researchers at The Australian National University is one step closer to better understanding how organisms function after discovering how epigenetic information is transmitted from one generation of cells to the next. Lead researcher, David Tremethick from The John Curtin School of Medical Research, said developing a better understanding of these epigenetic processes has significant potential implications for human health, in particular the treatment and prevention of diseases such as cancer. The findings have been published in a new paper on the Nature Structural & Molecular Biology website today. Epigenetics is the new frontier of genetic science. Epigenetic mechanisms go beyond DNA-stored information to provide an additional layer of information that controls when and where genes are expressed. It determines which fraction of the 20,000 genes that make up the human genome come into play to ensure the right genes are expressed in the correct cell type. This epigenetic information must be passed down through generations or 'inherited' in order for cells to function properly throughout our lives.