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epigenetics

·April 10, 2026·8 min read

Early Microbes Can Rewrite Neurodevelopmental Risk

A new study finds that a baby's epigenome at birth shapes their gut microbiome development. Crucially, certain "good" bacteria can mitigate genetic risks for ASD and ADHD by age three.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·April 2, 2026·8 min read

Poised Genes Time the Brain’s Growth

How does the brain time its own development? A new study explores histone bivalency—an epigenetic "red and green light" system that prevents premature neuron maturation and helps adult brains respond to stress and injury.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·March 30, 2026·6 min read

Metabolites “Rewrite” Brain Genes in Addiction

Researchers found that alcohol metabolites directly regulate gene expression in the brain. The ventral hippocampus is especially sensitive to these epigenetic changes, providing a new molecular target for treating alcohol use disorder.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·March 11, 2026·11 min read

How Aging Unlocks Hidden DNA in the Brain

Scientists create an unprecedented atlas of 1 million cells to show how the aging brain rewires itself at the epigenetic level.

This shows a pair of eye glasses next to an ashtray, symbolizing the connection between smoking and AMD.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·February 27, 2026·9 min read

Cigarette Smoke Triggers Epigenetic Age Acceleration in the Eyes

Cigarette smoke doesn't just damage eye cells; it causes epigenetic shifts that "lock" the genes needed to prevent blindness and macular degeneration.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·February 20, 2026·9 min read

Toxic Exposure Can Trigger Disease for 20 Generations

Your health might be an echo from the past. A new study shows that toxic exposure 500 years ago could be the hidden root of chronic disease today.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·October 29, 2025·5 min read

Epigenetic Switch to Turn Memories On and Off Created

Researchers have shown for the first time that flipping an epigenetic “switch” in specific memory-holding neurons can directly alter memory strength. By targeting the gene Arc—which helps neurons adjust their connections—scientists used CRISPR-based tools to either boost or silence its activity in engram cells within the hippocampus.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·October 16, 2025·7 min read

Child Abuse Leaves Lasting Biological Scars on the Brain and DNA

New research reveals that child maltreatment leaves measurable biological “scars” on DNA, altering brain structure and function. Using a genome-wide epigenetic analysis, scientists identified four key methylation sites—ATE1, SERPINB9P1, CHST11, and FOXP1—linked to maltreatment.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·September 24, 2025·4 min read

Early Clues to Autism and Schizophrenia Risk Found in DNA

Summary: Researchers have built a detailed map of DNA methylation changes in nearly 1,000 human brains from six weeks after...

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·September 2, 2025·9 min read

Alzheimer’s Linked to Epigenomic Breakdown, Not Just Plaques

A new large-scale study shows that Alzheimer’s disease is marked by the erosion of epigenomic control, where brain cells lose the ability to maintain stable gene expression. Using a multi-region atlas of 3.5 million cells, researchers found that vulnerable cells in key memory regions such as the hippocampus suffer breakdowns in nuclear compartmentalization and lose their “epigenomic information.”

This shows foods entwined into a DNA strand.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·May 21, 2025·4 min read

Plant-Based Diet Could Turn Back Biological Aging

A new study suggests that eating more plant-based foods rich in natural compounds called methyl adaptogens—like turmeric, berries, garlic, and green tea—may slow the body’s biological aging process. Researchers analyzed DNA methylation, a cellular marker of aging, in men aged 50 to 72 who followed a nutrient-rich, plant-forward lifestyle.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·May 18, 2025·7 min read

Parents’ Age, Ancestry, and Habits Shape New DNA Mutations

A massive genomic study has revealed that parental age, ancestry, and smoking habits subtly influence the number of new genetic mutations (de novo mutations) passed from parents to children. By analyzing whole-genome data from 10,000 parent-child trios, researchers found that most variation in mutation rates comes from parental age, especially the father’s.