Ep. 1 – Epigeneticist Turned Microbe Hunter - October 5, 2022

Microbes surround us, and they can have surprising effects beyond infection. In this episode, Nick Burton discusses his work discovering new environmental bacteria in backyards and how exposure to bad or good bugs can affect an organism’s offspring.

Speaker
Nick Burton, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Epigenetics
Van Andel Institute

 

Ep. 2 – Are We What Our Parents Eat? - October 12, 2022

Substances that enter the body, such as food or chemicals, can make epigenetic changes in the germline that become inherited, affecting the health of future generations. In this episode, Heidi Lempradl discusses her work studying the effects of parental diet on their offspring.

Speaker
Heidi Lempradl, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Metabolism and Nutritional Programming
Van Andel Institute

 

Ep. 3 – How Toxins Leave Their Cancerous Marks - October 19, 2022

Through epigenetic mechanisms, some environmental toxicants, such as heavy metals, alter gene expression patterns that then drive cancer progression. In this episode, Yvonne Fondufe-Mittendorf discusses her work studying environmental toxicants and their effects on DNA methylation and chromatin structure.

Speaker
Yvonne Fondufe-Mittendorf, PhD
Professor
Department of Epigenetics
Van Andel Institute