Author Archives: DWN

This is an unusual (i.e. most people would not think of this as an) example of gene-environment interactions. The environmental stimulus is density and space for movement; how the organisms (ants, in this case) respond to this environmental stimulus of … Continue reading →

This topic is tangentially related to gene-environment interactions, i.e. do genetically modified organisms (GMOs) affect the environment, or other plants growing nearby, or expression of other genes in the genome of the GMO? GMOs have been the subject of much … Continue reading →

Why are some people able to control their alcohol drinking, whereas others feel compelled to drink — despite undesirable health, personal, and/or social consequences? Today’s topic is well suited for GEITP, because gene-environment interactions play a central role in alcohol … Continue reading →

This is an interesting article from Psychology Today — very appropriate for this time of year, when I’ve seen in past years some parents INUNDATING their children with not one or two “major” toys for Christmas, but rather six or … Continue reading →

This (developmental biology) story is an awesome example of gene-environment interactions. 😊 To start with, animal embryos shape their tissues during development through a variety of mechanisms — one of which involves coordinated constriction of one side of a sheet … Continue reading →

These GEITP pages recently discussed the evolutionary history and divergence of plant genomes, it seems reasonable to note the evolutionary history and divergence of earthworm genomes. The importance of earthworms has long been recognized for their effects on terrestrial systems … Continue reading →

These (gene-environment interactions) GEITP pages have a continued interest in evolution, because that process involves the genomes of all living organisms to “adapt” to changes in the environment in order better to survive (‘survival of the fittest’). Green plants comprise … Continue reading →

These GEITP pages have frequently described the growing appreciation of our intestinal microbiome (bacteria, fungi and viruses) and our increasing appreciation of the brain-gut-microbiome axis. Which species predominate in the microbiota — and what metabolism takes place in the intestine … Continue reading →

This topic is only tangentially related to gene-environment interactions, but, given the incredible amounts of data now available — during this past decade of DNA-sequencing, RNA-sequencing transcriptomics, and comparisons of hundreds of genomes from different species — the bigger and … Continue reading →

In keeping with our GEITP gene-environment interactions theme, this topic concerns interactions between “dietary salt” as the environment, and each person’s genome or genetic susceptibility as the genes. Vascular risk factors — including excessive salt consumption — have long been … Continue reading →