Opinion: Link the exposome to the genome to improve human health and well-being
We need a better understanding of the exposome to properly integrate nature and nurture.
From the moment of conception onward, genes control our development and health. But they don’t do it alone. The exposome — all the internal and external chemical exposures we experience during the course our lives — influences, for better or worse, the genes and proteins they code for. A better understanding of the exposome, a concept still in its infancy, will help identify how nongenetic factors influence biological reactions and possibly the development of chronic diseases.
There’s a canonical equation in genetics: P = G + E. In English, it means that an individual’s Phenotype (observable health and physical
