Genetic Assimilation Beyond Development

Determine whether Waddington-style genetic assimilation—where environmentally induced phenotypes become genetically encoded—occurs in non-developmental systems that exhibit soft modes, such as protein structural dynamics, microbial gene expression, or microbial community ecology.

Background

Phenocopying was historically linked to genetic assimilation in developmental biology: environmentally induced phenotypes could become fixed genetically. The authors extend phenocopying across scales but note uncertainty about whether genetic assimilation also applies outside development.

Clarifying assimilation’s relevance in proteins, cells, or ecosystems would test whether environmental-to-genetic encoding is a general consequence of soft modes or specific to developmental programs.