Summary 2/24/09

Tarek Edelbi
Summary 2/24/09

This article was on the topic of a genome. It explores the mystery of the human body and how it’s able to collaborate the trillion of cells that encompass the same genome. In the article they compare the bodies cells to “something like a play in which all the actors have the same script but are assigned different parts and blocked from even seeing anyone else’s lines”. The cells assign themselves to the different roles they will play throughout an individual’s lifetime. As researchers dig deeper to find how this process works they are finding a “second layer” of in formation called an epigenome. The epigenomes’ roll is to control the access to genes that are packed into the DNA allowing each cell type to activate its own special genes but blocking off most of the rest. A human contains one genome but many epigenomes which will also control when the accessible genes may be activated. Researchers have found evidence that changes in the epigenome can cause cancer and other diseases. The epigenome has the ability to alter with age, for example identical twins often look a little different as they grow older because of accumulated changes to their epigenomes. Although this research will continue it is very expensive and some researchers think that discoveries in this field is still way to over our heads and the technology for the research is not up to par. The National Institute of Health has a small $190 million initiative called the epigenome roadmap in which individual researchers receive the funding.


Wade, Nicholas. "From One Genome, Many Types of Cells. But How?". The New York Times. 2/24/09 .