Research in social genomics has now clearly established that our interpersonal world exerts biologically significant effects on the molecular composition of the human body. These effects typically target a non-random ~1% of the human genome (though often a different 1% depending upon the social circumstances and cell type studied). Major topic for future exploration will involve determining which particular genes are subject to social regulation, what types of social conditions elicit such dynamics, which psychological and biological pathways mediate those effects, and which DNA polymorphisms moderate or intensify their impact.
