Exposure to wildfire smoke can create long-term changes in the way that genes are expressed in primates, observed a study.  The latest research carried out by Dr Hong Ji and her colleagues from the California National Primate Research Center at UC Davis, analysed  22 captive rhesus macaque monkeys that were born just before and after the horrific 2008 wildfire season to find that over 3,000 regions in the epigenome were different for these monkeys as compared to normal ones. Stressing the importance of this study, the researchers said it demonstrates how inhaling wildfire smoke, especially in young children who haven’t developed sufficient protection, can be dangerous.