Perceptions of epigenetics (original) (raw)

Nature volume 447, pages 396–398 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Geneticists study the gene; however, for epigeneticists, there is no obvious 'epigene'. Nevertheless, during the past year, more than 2,500 articles, numerous scientific meetings and a new journal were devoted to the subject of epigenetics. It encompasses some of the most exciting contemporary biology and is portrayed by the popular press as a revolutionary new science — an antidote to the idea that we are hard-wired by our genes. So what is epigenetics?

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Acknowledgements

I thank the Wellcome Trust for research support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, Edinburgh University, The King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JR, UK
    Adrian Bird

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The author declares no competing financial interests.

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Bird, A. Perceptions of epigenetics.Nature 447, 396–398 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05913

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