Bryan Turner is Emeritus Professor of Experimental Genetics at the University of Birmingham, UK and a Fellow of the Royal Society.
His pioneering research over the past 40 years has been fundamental to our understanding of epigenetics, the process by which genes are regulated to ensure that organisms can flourish, reproduce and interact productively with their environments. Specifically, he showed how the enzyme-catalyzed modification of specific amino acids on proteins intimately associated with DNA could determine whether genes were switched on (leading to production of specific RNAs and proteins) or shut down. These processes have been highly conserved through evolution with comparable epigenetic pathways operating in all known multicellular organisms including plants, insects and vertebrates. As we continue to unravel the complexities of epigenetic mechanisms, we are gaining a deeper understanding of how environmental factors can affect the health and behaviour of living organisms, including ourselves.
