Symposium report— epigenetic inheritance: impact for biology and society 27–29 August 2025, Zurich, Switzerland

Abstract

Abstract Epigenetic inheritance is a form of transmission of features or traits acquired by experience or environmental exposure that does not involve any changes in the DNA sequence unlike genetic heredity. Epigenetic inheritance is actively studied in animal models and humans and has major implications for biology, health, and society. While it is well established in plants and invertebrates, its mechanisms and importance in mammals have not been fully delineated. Several key questions remain open for instance, which life experiences and environmental exposures can induce heritable phenotypic changes and how induced changes can be propagated from exposed parents to descendants, and whether and how germ cells contribute to such inheritance. These questions were the focus of the fifth edition of the symposium “Epigenetic Inheritance: Impact for Biology and Society” held in Zurich, Switzerland, on 27–29 August 2025. They were discussed by experts from diverse disciplines who presented epidemiological data in humans, results in animal models, new findings on transmission mechanisms, methodological advances, and societal and evolutionary implications. This report summarizes the research presented during the symposium and highlights current conceptual and technical challenges. It also presents other scientific activities during the symposium, which included poster sessions, an art exhibition, and a documentary movie on war trauma across generations.