Café Scientifique - Professor Susan Strome
Join distinguished Professor of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology at the University of California Santa Cruz, Susan Strome.
What is epigenetics and can epigenetic memories be passed from parents to children? Epigenetics in Greek literally means "above or in addition to genetics" and refers to chemical changes to the genome, outside of the genetic code itself, that can influence which genes are active ("expressed") and which are silent.
The Strome lab at UC Santa Cruz is using a tiny model organism to tackle the burning question of whether epigenetic changes can be passed from parents to their children, and if those changes provide "epigenetic memories” to the children. The lab's studies have focused on germ cells, eggs and sperm, which carry information across generations.
They’ve discovered that germ cells pass an epigenetic memory of gene expression patterns from parents to offspring and that that memory is essential for the offspring’s germ cells to develop properly. Without that memory, the offspring are sterile … end of the line for that population!
Professor Susan Strome
Strome's work in developmental genetics investigates how germ cells are established and maintain identity, immortality, and potency from parent to offspring. Not only is she a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences, but she also received the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in 1998..
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