ABSTRACT

This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the fifth part of this book. The part provides a historical overview of epigenetics, charting the patchy development of this research area and technique in the work of C. H. Waddington. It explores the postgenomic revitalization of epigenetics through one particular subfield: behavioral epigenetics. The part problematizes a universal understanding of stem cells and the sciences that study them through attention to both the local and global of international stem cell research. It discusses the key role of animals in the production of genomic knowledge both currently and historically. The part explores microbial ecologies through natural and social scientific perspectives. It charts the beginnings and subsequent iterations of this "biosocial" science, asking how shared epistemologies shape and are shaped by understandings of what constitutes biology, the social, and science.