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Eric Green, the new head of the US National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), has been involved with genomics since the term was first coined in the 1980s. Erica Westly spoke with Green about where he sees the genomics field heading and what role he thinks the NHGRI should have in the American health care system.
The epigenome consists of a system of chemical tags that attach to our DNA and its associated molecules, switching genes on and off. But the system is not without glitches—and scientists think that the misplacement of these tags can cause disease. This idea has led to new drugs that aim to correct gene activity (and obliterate disease) by altering the proteins around which DNA winds. Cassandra Willyard examines whether this approach will unlock the long-awaited promise of epigenetic therapy.