Not just a pretty base...
Did you know your genes can change the ways they express themselves, without changing your DNA? Have you ever wondered how changes in the enviroment around you can change your genetics? If you want to know how DNA and genes work join us as we host Mark Bedford and Kristin Eckel-Mahan as they teach us the the finer points of the science of epigenetics, and the many roles it plays in your lives.
What time is it? On larks, owls, and how your cells maintain 24-hr. rhythms
Kristin Eckel-Mahan
UT Health
Circadian (i.e. 24-hr.) rhythms regulate human physiology and behavior, such as the sleep/wake cycle. But what maintains these rhythms and how do we stay synchronized with our 24-hr. environment? This talk will introduce briefly what the circadian clock is, how it is influenced by environmental factors (such as light and food) and the extent to which these rhythms are important for human health.
Epigenetics: Basics to Drugs
Mark Bedford
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene function caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence – hence the name epi- (Greek for over or above) -genetics. Epimutations, unlike genetic mutations, can be reversed by chemotherapeutic intervention, which makes epigenetic therapy conceptually extremely appealing for cancer treatment. I will highlight approaches that we have been talking to identify compounds that interfere with epigenetic pathways, and which could be development into epigenetic therapeutic agents.