Forget the stuffy image
of business networking being about serious suited business people
selling to each other. At its best, it is about conversations and
getting to know each other in a pleasant environment which,over time,
often leads to unexpected business opportunities.
It also means that the
most unexpected questions arise as when Rachael Orchard of Nu Skin
turned to me and, hearing I had a science background, asked
“And what do you
think of epigenetics?”
I was flummoxed and had
to dredge my memory for some faint recollection to give an answer.
I was prompted to do a it more revision over the weekend.
I was prompted to do a it more revision over the weekend.
So what is “epigenetics”?
Well, you may recall
from news items that we have about 20,000 to 30,000 genes, which code
for all the information that makes us human. The information being
“written” in our DNA. Now, a cell in your big toe will have the
same DNA as one of your brain cells, and yet they are obviously very
different.
Soon after your parents
created you as a fertilised egg cell, in their hopefully passionate
encounter, you began to divide into more cells as you started to
grow. As the process continued, certain genes were turned on, others
turned off. The effect was different in different cell or cell lines.
So gradually some of your cells became toe cells, others brain cells.
And when a toe cell divided during growing up to help make a bigger
toe, these too were now toe cells. This is true of cells in all the
different parts of your body, heart, kidney, hair and skin.
The process of your
(and any other organisms) development is called epigenesis. The study
of epigenesis is – epigenetics!
OK, but why is epigenetics relevant in a business discussion?
The process of
epigenesis, of you becoming you, is not just a pre-programmed
inevitability. What you eat, where and how you live can also have an
impact.
Rachael Orchard is part
of Nu Skin, a company that produces anti-ageing nutrition and
skincare. Nu Skin has been working closely with and also recently
bought a company called LifeGen Technologies. LifeGen Technologies
studies the epigenetics of ageing. They have a patent pending based
on initial studies on mice.
LifeGen Technologies have identified
genes that may be affected during ageing. This will lead to studies
to understand how this happens. In turn, hopefully treatments or actions that can reduce or delay the signs of ageing will follow.
This would be gold for the Nu Skin anti-ageing company
Therefore in this
business discussion, epigenetics was highly relevant!
If you need to communicate complex topics to your clients or business partners, let me help.
If you need to communicate complex topics to your clients or business partners, let me help.
The science of ageing
is a new and hotly debated research area. Calorific restriction
(giving less food) is one treatment shown scientifically to work in
extending lifespan for yeast, rodents and dogs. Studies on primates
and humans are in progress.
Thank you so much for the follow up on this Chris.. this is actually a subject very close to my heart as I actually knew nothing about nutrition or even epigenetics just over a year and a half ago. However I was faced with regular examinations for type 2 CIN abnormal cervical cells and knew I had to change something. At the same time I bumped in to Nuskin at a business presentation and started to understand the science behind our health and wellbeing. I began taking the pharmaceutical grade nutrition and 4 months later had a clear smear and have had 3 clear scans consecutively. I am now on a mission to change the way the precancer screening departments in the NHS look at these cases (which are very common) and I would be very interested to talk to anyone in this field. Many thanks again Chris for mentioning what is a fascinating topic. Best Rachael Orchard
ReplyDeleteThanks Rachael :-) For others who are similarly affected by Rachael's experience,you are not alone (my mother was affected too). There are shared experience and help out there. Here are some that I found. 1. Maggies Centres http://goo.gl/GXZCV, 2.Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust helpline http://goo.gl/LUlYw and 3. Information on cervical screening http://goo.gl/WG16k
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