Multiplexed CRISPR sgRNAs: Express One Get One FreeSeptember 13, 2016For all the focus on making CRISPR more accurate, effective, compact, and versatile, one key feature has remained elusive: the two-for-one special. In a way, it’s ironic that CRISPR multiplexing – i.e., expressing multiple sgRNAs from the same promoter to target multiple DNA sites – is not more straightforward. After all, natural CRISPR arrays are […]
DNA Methylation Detects Ovarian Cancer’s Tissue of OriginSeptember 13, 2016While epigenetic variation underlies the origin of many cancers, underlying epigenetic similarities can reveal cancer’s tissue of origin. High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) is the most common and serious type of epithelial ovarian cancer. However, there are two competing hypotheses about which tissue HGSC arises from. Ovarian surface epithelia (OSE) has been implicated, but the […]
Can’t Remember What’s Stressing You Out? Blame Histone AcetylationSeptember 2, 2016We can all relate to the side effects of severe stress in one way or the other. Severe stress affects us in many ways and contributes immensely to many pathological issues. One side effect of stress is spatial memory impairment. Whereas non-epigenetic basis of how stress impacts our spatial memory has been documented, no such […]
The Sunnyside of Precision DNA Demethylation by dCas9-TET1September 2, 2016On its quests to edit the epigenome like no biotechnology ever has, our deactivated Cas9 (dCas9) hero has come across many powerful effectors. When seeking out precision DNA demethylation, it has previously seen a multi TET1 approach. This makes use of both a dCas9 and TET1 catalytic domain fusion (dCas9-TET1) and also sgRNA 2.0 to […]
Tuning Chromatin Microenvironments with Epigenome EditingAugust 27, 2016Ensuring the sustainability of our environment is a noble goal, and when it comes to the chromatin microenvironments epigenome editing is no exception. While we’ve seen a range of epigenome editing applications, the long-term (mitotically stable) nature of these modifications has remained a challenge. In 2002, epigenome editing demonstrated that when it comes to the […]