Identical twins Emily and Keeley couldn't have looked more
different at birth.
While it is hard to separate the pair today, Emily was born
weighing a kilogram less than her sister and suffering from a bowel
condition.
The reason why two people with the same DNA can develop
differences in appearance, personality and health has been a
long-standing puzzle for scientists.
However, a new area of science called epigenetics - which
studies the chemical markers around genes - is helping to shed
light on the mystery.
Led by Dr Richard Saffery and Dr Jeff Craig our
researchers are conducting a study involving 250 sets of twins to
find out how the environmental factors babies encounter in the womb
can influence their genes and longer term health, independent of
their DNA sequence.
It is hoped the study, published inHuman Molecular
Genetics, will provide information not only on how the process
occurs in twins but in all individuals, giving scientists a better
understanding of the role of epigenetics on health.
Mum Rebecca Wardley said the research had given her an
insight into the science behind the initial differences between her
twins.
"Being identical twins, I just presumed the girls would
look the same when they were born so it was a big surprise when
they came out looking different," Rebecca said. "It's good to now
know why some of these differences may have occurred."