Chirag J. Patel, Ph.D. from Harvard University, writes about his experience at the 2025 GRC on Quantitative Genetics and Genomics
Earlier last month, I had the pleasure of attending the 2025 Gordon Research Conference on Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, a vibrant and intellectually generative space where emerging tools, datasets, and concepts are shaping the future of genetics. I was particularly proud that my students, Shakson Isaac (PhD Student in Bioinformatics and Integrative Genomics) and Sivateja Tangirala (Research Associate in Biomedical Informatics), delivered talks on the functional exposome—highlighting how our environment shapes biology in ways we’re only beginning to quantify.
Gene-by-environment (GxE) interactions remain one of the most compelling—and complex—frontiers in genomics. At its core, GxE refers to the interplay between genetic variation and environmental exposures in determining traits and disease risk. Neither genes nor environment operate in isolation; instead, they dynamically interact across space, time, and context. And yet, as we heard repeatedly at this meeting, defining “environment” rigorously remains a challenge, especially in genomics settings.
I was struck by how many speakers—particularly those inspired by ecological and evolutionary frameworks—are beginning to reframe the environment in ways that resonate deeply with our work in exposomics. One framing considered the environment as a force operating across evolutionary time, sculpting the genome through natural selection. This view is especially relevant for understanding historical GxE interactions that might leave imprints in contemporary populations. Another perspective, often found in agricultural or industrial contexts, defines the environment more precisely: controlled breeding, nutrition, or stressors applied experimentally, allowing for reproducible GxE discovery.
Speakers emphasized the pervasive role of environmental drivers in developmental processes. He offered a useful taxonomy for thinking about “environment” in GxE studies—breaking it down into developmental timing, microenvironmental factors (like diet and stress), and spatial or geographic variation. These dimensions map closely onto our own evolving definitions of the exposome, and underscore the value of tools that can capture, quantify, and integrate these influences at scale.
This is where the exposome — broadly defined as the cumulative measure of environmental exposures over a lifetime — can contribute profoundly to GxE research. Shakson and I are developing tools to systematically study the biological consequences of the exposome and how these exposures mediate disease risk. Biobanks like UK Biobank and All of Us provide fertile ground for these investigations. They allow us to pair deeply phenotyped populations with increasingly granular environmental exposure data, whether through geospatial measures, wearable sensors, or untargeted omics. But, will we ever be able to map the exposome of human history?
Another important thread at the conference included the role of GxE in understanding variability in drug response and adverse events. In these discussions, drugs were conceptualized as the environmental factor. Our response to treatment could be determined by potentially other environmental factors or genetic ones.
As we continue to build bridges between exposomics and quantitative genomics, I’m excited about the potential for new methods, interdisciplinary thinking, and shared data resources to unlock deeper insights into human biology and disease. The functional exposome is not just an add-on to genomic science—it may be the missing link that allows us to realize the full promise of GxE.
