Talks
Gates Cambridge Annual Lecture 2024
A global turning point: how to escape the permacrisis: Reid Lidow, Michael Spence and Mohamed A. El-Erian
HONORARY FELLOWS LECTURE - What is epigenetics? And is it important?
Wed 26 February 2020
Department of Chemistry
The Honorary Fellows Lecture will be given by Sir David Baulcombe, Royal Society Edward Penley Abraham Research Professor, Department of Plant Sciences,
University of Cambridge
A complimentary drinks reception to follow on after the lecture will take place in the foyer to the lecture theatre for all attendees.
Abstract: "Epigenetics has always been all the weird and wonderful things that can't be explained by genetics." Denise Barlow (Vienna, Austria)
Some of these ‘weird and wonderful things’ challenge Mendel’s laws of inheritance and they have prompted suggestions that there may even be some epigenetic inheritance of acquired characteristics, as proposed by Lamarck.
In my lecture I will assess these suggestions using evidence based on recent advances in epigenetics. Most of my examples are with plants but, because Mendel showed us that peas can inform thinking about inheritance in people, we can, perhaps, use these green findings to guide thinking about epigenetic inheritance more generally.
Cost: Free
Enquiries and booking
No need to book.
Open to all who are interested, no booking required. Entrance is free to all our Cambridge Philosophical Society Lectures. For further information please contact the Executive Secretary or visit the Society's website
Enquiries: Beverley Larner Website Email: philosoc@hermes.cam.ac.uk Telephone: 01223 334743