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The study of genetics has contributed to countless discoveries related to human health and disease. However, the complexities of human biology reside not only in the genome but also in the contributions from environmental exposures, as measured via the classical twin design. To understand the influence of biological exposures, I implemented study designs to explore both the health associations and propagation of foreign genetic material. Microchimerism has been studied for association with several clinical conditions, and I further investigated if male microchimerism could elucidate the etiology of Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome. The results from study of male microchimerism in two generations of twin pedigrees provided insight into the prevalence and variance of the chimerism phenomenon. Emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic required the implementation of molecular genetic methods for detection of viral genome in collected samples and my study of clinical measures in a Midwestern American population revealed associations with viral dynamics within the community. Many important scientific discoveries will rely on quantitative molecular methods to further understand the influence and dynamics of diverse biological exposures.