That our lifestyle and environment affect our health is not new, but you might not be aware that it can also affect our genetic makeup.

An upcoming talk by Andrew Abrams and hosted by Biotech Without Borders at Genspace, the Downtown Brooklyn community bio lab, will explore the topic of epigenetics, the changes in our genome or gene expression that come with changes in our environment.

“There are many profound biological questions that genetics is unable to resolve, not least among them some of our most intimate concerns about human health and disease, and the critical role of our lifestyle and other environmental factors in shaping these,” according to the event’s page. “The exploding field of epigenetics has the potential to address these questions. In this talk we will explore what we mean by epigenetics, why it is so important, and how we might be able to harness it for a healthier future.”

Tickets are free and open to the public. The talk will be in two weeks, on Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 7 p.m.