Editor: IAG Gene Technology Report
Epigenetics. Implications for the Life Sciences and the Humanities
Berlin 2017
Epigenetics disempowers our genes? Or not? Epigenetics means: biochemical molecules interact with the DNA in our cells throughout our lives and control our genetic make-up in a complex network: development, growth, but also diseases and even our psyche are subject to epigenetic influences. The environment and our way of life play a major role in these processes and change the „epigenetic“ in us. Epigenetics demands new perspectives from us, not only in biology, but across disciplines: How does „epigenetic thinking“ change our view of our genes, of the living, of development, of evolution and heredity?
The new anthology of the Interdisciplinary Research Group Gene Technology Report at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW) therefore not only presents the status quo of epigenetics, but also examines how knowledge from this complex topic is being transferred to and illuminated from a wide range of disciplines.
The summary with the core statements and recommendations for action of the IAG in German and English can be found here.
