12/10/2026
Last Thursday, 8 October, participants in our Epigenetics for Educators virtual course met three researchers from EMBL Rome: Dr Joana Serrano, Dr Flavio Santilli and Dr Matthieu Boulard.
From exploring how a father’s diet might affect future generations to investigating X-chromosome inactivation, our speakers shared fascinating insights into epigenetics research and its implications for biology education.
💡 Three takeaways for the classroom:
- Start with a puzzle: how can cells with the same DNA have such different functions?
- Use real-life examples, such as calico cats with differently coloured patches of fur, to spark curiosity.
- Encourage critical thinking by helping students distinguish established evidence from open scientific questions, particularly around environmental influences and epigenetic inheritance.
A huge thank you to Joana, Flavio and Matthieu for sharing their expertise, and to all the teachers who brought such thoughtful questions to the discussion!
