Yet as plausible as this sounds, it’s far from the truth. A colony of genetically identical E. coli is, in fact, a mob of individuals. Under identical conditions, they will behave in different ways. They have fingerprints of their own.

Here’s the full article.

Carl is a smart guy with a lively blog called “The Loom.”

Twenty years ago, most geneticists paid little mind to epigenetics. But cancer and stem cell research have gradually focused attention on these genome modifications. In a still-obscure manner, enzymes, transcription factors, and snippets of RNA converge on particular DNA sequences. They customize the expression of nearby genes, often by adding methyl, acetyl, or phosphorous groups to the DNA or the histone proteins surrounding the DNA. Methylation, for example, can silence a nearby gene and seems to be involved in some cancers. Increasingly, researchers are unearthing links between epigenetics and other diseases.

Here’s the link, though it’s only accessible by subscribers.