By Dr. Sharon Moalem
Genetics, epigenetics, and personalised medicine
Subject
Themes
Our genetic inheritance is far more flexible and dynamic than we have been taught. For generations, the prevailing view has been that genes are fixed blueprints, passed down unchanged from parents to children, determining who we are with mathematical certainty. This understanding, rooted in Gregor Mendel's nineteenth-century experiments with pea plants, suggests that genetic fate is sealed at conception, leaving individuals powerless to alter their biological destiny.
Our genetic inheritance is far more flexible and dynamic than we have been taught. For generations, the prevailing view has been that genes are fixed blueprints, passed down unchanged from parents to children, determining who we are with mathematical certainty. This understanding, rooted in Gregor…
Published in 2014, Inheritance arrived at a pivotal moment in genetic science when the cost of genome sequencing had dropped dramatically, making personalised genetic medicine theoretically accessible but practically underutilised. Dr Sharon Moalem, a physician-scientist with expertise in rare…
Traditional genetics taught that inheritance follows fixed, immutable patterns established by Gregor Mendel's laws. Genes passed from parents to children were understood as unchangeable blueprints that determined traits with mathematical precision. This view positioned genetic inheritance as a…
Traditional medicine operates on population-based principles, applying treatments proven effective for the majority of patients. Doctors rely on clinical trials demonstrating that specific interventions benefit most people with particular conditions. This approach, rooted in statistical averages,…
Humanity now possesses unprecedented ability to read, interpret, and modify genetic information. This technological revolution arrived remarkably quickly. The Human Genome Project, completed in 2003, required over a decade and billions of dollars to sequence the first complete human genome. Today,…
Genetic determinism has long haunted scientific and popular understanding of heredity. If genes control traits, the reasoning goes, individuals lack meaningful agency over biological destiny. Eye colour, height, and disease susceptibility all apparently sealed by genetic lottery at conception. This…
The human face serves as a biological trademark, revealing developmental history and genetic information through observable physical characteristics. Long before sophisticated molecular testing existed, physicians recognised that specific facial features correlate with genetic conditions. The…
Genetic inheritance has traditionally been understood as fixed and immutable, determined entirely at conception by genes passed from parents to children. This framework, established by Gregor Mendel's mid-nineteenth-century experiments with pea plants, positioned genes as unchangeable blueprints…
Diet and environment profoundly influence genetic expression through epigenetic mechanisms, even when DNA sequences remain identical. Honeybees demonstrate this principle dramatically. Queen bees and worker bees can have completely identical DNA, yet their physical, behavioural, and physiological…
Nutrition profoundly influences genetic expression through complex interactions between diet, genes, and the gut microbiome. Ancestral dietary patterns have shaped human genetic variations affecting nutrient metabolism, creating population-specific nutritional requirements. Individuals of different…
Laterality, the preference for using one side of the body over the other, represents a fundamental aspect of human biology influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Handedness exemplifies this asymmetry, with approximately 90 percent of humans showing right-hand dominance. However,…
Genome editing technologies enable direct modification of genetic sequences with unprecedented precision. CRISPR-Cas9 and related tools function as molecular scissors, cutting DNA at targeted locations to delete problematic sequences, insert beneficial genes, or correct mutations. This capability…
Applying genetic knowledge to practical medical decisions requires integrating diverse sources of information into coherent clinical approaches. Physicians must synthesise family history, physical examination findings, molecular testing results, and population-based research to develop…
By Dr. Sharon Moalem
Subject
Themes
Our genetic inheritance is far more flexible and dynamic than we have been taught. For generations, the prevailing view has been that genes are fixed blueprints, passed down unchanged from parents to children, determining who we are with mathematical certainty. This understanding, rooted in Gregor Mendel's nineteenth-century experiments with pea plants, suggests that genetic fate is sealed at conception, leaving individuals powerless to alter their biological destiny.