Genomic Impacts of Biological Exposures

Development and maintenance of complex tissues depends on a number of coordinated steps from early development through adulthood. These processes are fundamentally controlled by highly regulated gene expression patterns. Although critical contributors during development, intrinsic changes in gene expression alone cannot fully explain the complicated pathways that control tissue homeostasis. Rather, tissues are continuously exposed to extrinsic factors that also influence essential cellular processes. These external environmental factors are collectively known as the exposome. Notably, how different exposures impact gene expression and protein function, as well as how certain exposures lead to disease states, is not well understood. To understand how internal and external factors influence organismal development and homeostasis, it is necessary to consider how genetic and nongenetic components interact to direct critical biochemical pathways. Doing so presents new avenues for precision medicine, understanding disease progression, identifying biological threats, and improving biological security concerns. In this review, we present recent advances in exposure biology, focusing on how these innovations can help identify novel biomarkers to better understand changing exposome components. We also discuss the need to integrate technologies and exposure research to better identify and predict threats.