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Genes and Environment

Code: 101974 ECTS Credits: 3
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Genetics OT 4

Contact

Name:
Maria Magdalena Gaya Vidal
Email:
magda.gaya@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

There are no official prerequisites, but much of the literature is in the English language, which is also used in the figures projected in theory classes, and also for oral communication when needed.


Objectives and Contextualisation

The subject of Environmental genetics aims studying the different aspects of human variability in relation to the environment, and the implications of their interaction in human health. Furthermore, most of human diseasesand health problems result from a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors.
Because of variability these differences, subtle genetic differences provide different responses to same environmental exposure. Therefore, the contents of this subject are focused on various genetic factors influencing human health, both individually and at population level.


Competences

  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values. 
  • Apply knowledge of theory to practice.
  • Be able to analyse and synthesise.
  • Be able to communicate effectively, orally and in writing.
  • Be sensitive to environmental, health and social matters.
  • Describe and interpret the principles of the transmission of genetic information across generations.
  • Describe epigenetic mechanisms.
  • Describe the diversity of living beings and interpret it evolutionally.
  • Make changes to methods and processes in the area of knowledge in order to provide innovative responses to society's needs and demands. 
  • Perceive the strategic, industrial and economic importance of genetics and genomics to life sciences, health and society.
  • Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge. 
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Take the initiative and demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values. 
  2. Apply knowledge of theory to practice.
  3. Be able to analyse and synthesise.
  4. Be able to communicate effectively, orally and in writing.
  5. Be sensitive to environmental, health and social matters.
  6. Describe the clinical consequences derived from epigenetic control mechanisms.
  7. Determine the genetic basis and calculate the risk of recurrence of human illnesses.
  8. Evolutionally describe and interpret the diversity of hominids.
  9. Make changes to methods and processes in the area of knowledge in order to provide innovative responses to society's needs and demands. 
  10. Recognise the strategic importance of genetic progress in the field of human health, especially applications of the genomic to personalised medicine, pharmacogenomics and nutrigenomics.
  11. Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge. 
  12. Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  13. Take the initiative and demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit.

Content

Topic 1. Historical perspectives

Topic 2. Epidemiology in environmental genetics

Topic 3. Epigenetics (environmental factors)

Topic 4. Radiation and cancer

Topic 5. Farmacogenetics

Topic 6. Ecogenètics

Topic 7. Nutrigenomics

 

 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
practical lessons 10 0.4 2, 5, 8, 6, 7, 13, 10, 4, 3
seminars 2 0.08 2, 5, 8, 6, 7, 13, 10, 4, 3
Theory 13 0.52 2, 5, 8, 6, 7, 13, 10, 4, 3
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 2 0.08
Type: Autonomous      
Seminars Preparation 4 0.16 2, 5, 8, 6, 7, 13, 10, 4, 3
Study 32 1.28 2, 5, 8, 6, 7, 10, 3
Teamwork 12 0.48 2, 5, 8, 6, 7, 13, 10, 4, 3

 

The development of the educational activities of the course is based on lectures, practical classes in the computer room and seminars, each with its specific methodology. Theory classes: students acquire specific knowledge of the subject by attending the lectures. Students can access to on-line support material used in classes on moodle web based site, respecting the rules of intellectual property. Practical lessons: the knowledge acquired in the lectures and work independently applied to the study of a case study. Students will work in small groups to develop key skills specific to the field. The presence in each of the training activities is mandatory.

 

 

 

 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Attendance and active participation in scheduled activities 10% 0 0 1, 12, 11, 5, 8, 7, 9, 13, 10, 4, 3
Delivery of material developed during practical lessons 25% 0 0 1, 12, 11, 2, 5, 6, 7, 13, 10, 4, 3
grade control 40% 0 0 2, 5, 8, 6, 7, 13, 10, 4, 3
Preparation, presentation and defense of planned activities 25% 0 0 1, 12, 11, 2, 5, 8, 6, 7, 9, 13, 10, 4, 3

Being a continuous evaluation, the student participation, the preparation and presentation of group work and a grade control will be considered in the following proportions:

Attendance and participation of students in class: 10%. 

Delivery of practical work: 25% Attendance to all practical sessions is mandatory. Students missing more than 20% of programmed sessions will be graded as "No Avaluable".

Group work: 25%

Control: 40%. To evaluate the course a control with questions from theoretical and practical sessions will be performed. Students must get a minimum score of 4.0.

The average of the different assessed parts attendance and participation, teamwork and control) must be equal or greater than five.

A retake process is considered. To be eligible for this retake process, the student should have been previously evaluated in a set of activities equalling at least two thirds of the final score of the course or module.

The student will be graded as "No Avaluable" if the weighting of all conducted evaluation activities is less than 67% of the final score.

 
Single assessment: Given the teaching methodology used, this subject does not include single assessment.
 
Use of AI
 
For this subject, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted exclusively in support tasks, such as bibliographic or information searches, text correction, translations, for code creation or other activities at the discretion of the teacher. The student must clearly identify which parts have been generated with this technology, specify the tools used and include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and the final result of the activity. The lack of transparency in the use of AIin this assessable activity will be considered a lack of academic honesty and may lead to a partial or total penalty in the grade of the activity, or greater sanctions in serious cases.

Bibliography

BIBLIOGRAPHY

- Boyd R, Silk  JB. (2001). Como evolucionaron los humanos. Ariel Ciencia

- Costa L.G, Eaton D L. Gene-Environment interactions, Fundamentals of ecogenetics. Willey-Liss (2006)

- Chinnery, PF. Et al. (2012). Epigenetics, epidemiology and mitochondrial DNA diseases. International Journal of Epidemiology, 41:177–187. doi:10.1093/ije/dyr232

- Wallace, D.C. and Fan, W (2010). Energetics, epigenetics, mitochondrial genetics. Mitochondrion 10 (2010) 12–31

-  Irala-Estévez, J.I. et al. (2004). Epidemiología Aplicada. Ariel Ciencias Médicas.

- Jorde LB et al. Medical Genetics . Elsevier 4th Ed, 2009

- Konopka, G. and Geschwind D.H. (2010). Human brain evolution: harnessing the genomics (r)evolution to link genes, cognition, and behavior. Neuron. October 21; 68(2): 231-244. doi:  10.1016/j.neuron.2010.10.012

- Muehlenbein MP. 2010. Human Evolutionay Biology. Cambridge University Press

- Nussbaum et al . Thompson & Tompson Genetics in Medicine. Saunders . Elsevier, 2007

- Preuss, TM. (2012). Human brain evolution: From gene discovery to phenotype discovery PNAS vol. 109 suppl. 1, 10709-10716

- Rietschel, M. and Treutlein, J. (2013). The genetics of alcohol dependence. Ann NY Acad Sci; Apr1282:39-70. Review

- Robert K. Naviaux, R.K. (2008) Mitochondrial control of epigenetics. Cancer Biology & Therapy 7:8, 1191-1193.

- Tobias ES et al. Essential Medical Genetics. Wilwy-Blackwell, 6th Ed, 2011

- Wells JCK. 2010. The Evolutionary Biology of Human Body Fatness. Cambridge University Press

- Allis C.D. (2015). Epigenetics, Second Edition. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press


Software

There is no specipc software to be used


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 641 Catalan first semester afternoon
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 642 Catalan first semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 641 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 64 Catalan first semester morning-mixed