NZ research is leading way to better foods, health

Liggins Institute Director Professor Peter Gluckman believes that the interface between human and animal science is a strength which NZ has yet to fully realise.

“Researchers at both these organisations have been at the forefront of a revolution in our understanding of biology,” he says.

“We now know that the ultimate potential of both animals and humans depends on more than genes alone It is the subtle interactions between the genes an individual inherits from its parents and its early life environment that determines its growth trajectory, body composition, reproductive potential and adult health.”

The rapidly emerging field of developmental epigenetics – the way in which the action of genes is regulated by signals from the environment – underpins these concepts.

Following birth the animal or child’s developmental pathway and adult potential, for example to lean or fat, to health or disease, depends on how well it has predicted its actual postnatal environment.

Thus, if a human mother has poor nutrition during pregnancy her baby might predict that future food supplies will be scarce and set its metabolism to store and conserve fat. However, if this early prediction proves false and food – particularly food high in fat – is readily available, the infant may find its metabolism programmed for adult obesity, heart disease and diabetes.