• Question: What type of experiments do you do on fish?

    Asked by Chloe R to Lauren on 15 Mar 2016.
    • Photo: Lauren Laing

      Lauren Laing answered on 15 Mar 2016:

      I try to understand how genes respond to certain chemical pollutants!

      Have you heard of epigenetics? This is basically the study of biological mechanisms that could switch genes on and off, or change the way in which they are expressed. Epigenetics is what makes us unique, for example, the differences we see between genetically identical twins. Epigenetics is influenced by the environment in which we live. I study this in fish, and try to understand how chemicals may alter the fish’s epigenome (This is what we call of the epigenetic information marked on the genes of each fish).

      One of the experiments I am looking into, is can fish inherit these epigenetic marks?For example, does something a fish is exposed to impact on their offspring, or their grand children!?

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