Finding the On-Off Switch for Gene Expression

AUSTIN, Texas - Jan. 15, 2025 - PRLog -- The Human Genome Project Ushered in a New Golden Age of Genetic Discovery

The Human DNA Project (1990-2003) remains one of the pinnacles of scientific achievement in biology – for the first time, we were able to uncover the roadmap that allows us to pass along our unique genetic characteristics from one generation to the next.

But there is always more to the story, more to discover.

Recently, we wrote about a secondary project to expand the human genome project to sequence the DNA of underrepresented populations around the world, which is documenting how DNA genetics vary depending on your background.

A key consequence of the Human Genome Project is that we don't know as much as we thought we did.

For example, scientists realized that the actual genes (and gene-related sequences) that we associate with genetic inheritance comprise only a small fraction (2 – 3%) of our total DNA – the balance consisting of unexpected components, ranging from transposons, introns, pseudogenes, and repeated sequences of DNA.

Many of these elements were initially brushed off as accumulated "junk DNA," but researchers are continuing to investigate what role these might play in our biochemistry.

DNA Alone Does Not Determine Our Genetic Destiny – Our Increasing Understanding of Epigenetics and the Role of Gene Expression in Determining Health and Disease Outcomes

Researchers are also taking a closer look at the role of gene sequences in human DNA.

What are they discovering?

"It's complicated."

It turns out the human genetic map in our DNA is not deterministic; in other words, having a particular gene sequence does not automatically lead to a certain outcome, such as a disease.

What's becoming increasingly clear is the powerful role that genes can play throughout our lives. Working within the constraints of our own inherited DNA sequences, genes can "express" themselves differently over time (a process known as epigenetics) in response to a range of factors, including environmental/chemical exposure, diet/gut biome, age, and stress.

If you want to learn more about these complicated biological processes, we recommend the new book How Life Works: A Guide to the New Biology by Philip Ball.

Controlling Gene Expression with an On/Off Switch Could be a Health Gamechanger

Let's look at this concept of gene expression in the context of healthcare outcomes.

In simple terms, there appear to be many instances where the onset of a particular genetically inherited disease is guided by a two-step process.

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