And another reason to stay active...

Wow. It was recently discovered that exercise changes gene expression in muscles:

http://www.nature.com/news/a-trip-to-the-gym-alters-dna-1.10176

Summary is that the more we exercise, the more metabolism-boosting genes get expressed.

It's just remarkable how we keep finding more evidence of how our environment and behavior can alter something as fundamental as our DNA.  In some cases those changes can actually be passed to offspring!  I'm talking about epigenetic inheritance, or the phenomenon of inheriting gene expression patterns that are defined beyond the the actual sequence of the DNA.  Bear with me while I attempt to explain this for my non-sciencey readers: a child inherits two copies of a single gene, lets say a gene for eye color.  One copy is from mom, the other copy from dad.  The two copies, if sequenced in a lab, have the exact same code, say for brown eye color.  So one would assume this kid would have brown eyes.  BUT for some environmental reason, dad's copy of the brown eye gene is actually turned off by epigenetic modifications.  That's a big fancy word for basically scrunching up the DNA so tightly that it never gets transcribed into RNA or translated into protein.  silent gene = no protein = no eye color from dad's gene.  So our hypothetical child might not have brown eyes (maybe hazel), even tho he/she inherited two genes for brown eyes.

Before someone blasts me for scientific inaccuracy, I know this is a gross over generalization and I honestly don't know how eye color is inherited - I just used that as an easy-to-visualize example.

But seriously - how cool is that?!??  We actually have some control over how our genes behave.  Now I just need to figure out how to turn off my chocolate-craving genes....

And we have our first fail....

Ok, so I'm a bit back-logged on posts.

So what is the glamorous life of a grad student in March?  Using spring break week as a chance to catch up on lab loose ends while there aren't any classes to mess up the day!  Weeee!

Did a quick visit to C'ville to catch up with friends this past weekend - it was wonderful to see folks and catch up, particularly because two of them are expecting.  It was a talk and food filled weekend, with some beautiful weather on Saturday.  The maples are budding out, crocuses and daffodils in full bloom...oh yes, and hubby snuffling with allergies.  Ah, spring!

Then we came back to Blacksburg:

The weather has been so spastic!  Freezing cold with snow, and 48hrs later it's going to be 63*.  I know it normally bounces around in the spring, but this seems pretty extreme.  I know it's hard on Dax.  She started shedding a few weeks ago, but we've had two bouts of cold snowy weather interspersed with 70* since then.  The good part about her new barn is that she's got lots more shelter and shade options than the previous one.  That combined with quality hay means she's as well equipped as possible to handle the crazy weather, short of putting her in and out of a stall (although she actually has access to one of those too!).

Not a whole lot of exciting stuff going on at the moment, except that....drum roll please...

WE'RE HOUSE SHOPPING AGAIN!!  AAAAAHHHHH!!!!

Brace yourselves!