On Demand Demethylation with dCas9-TET1May 16, 2016Every researcher loves a good tool, and lately, it seems that CRISPR might be an even more modular tool than PCR. Attesting to the modularity of CRISPR/Cas9 is catalytically deactivated Cas9 (dCas9). dCas9 has the precision of Cas9, when combined with sgRNA, and can be fused to a modular effector domain that allows for extra […]
Small Molecule Cocktails are a Big Hit at the Cellular Reprogramming PartyMay 6, 2016Cellular reprogramming represents the biological equivalent of spinning gold from straw: the generation of one therapeutically-desired cell type from another more abundant, and less useful, starting cell type. Following reprogramming, we can incorporate the resultant cells into new and effective patient-specific regenerative strategies. Reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generates a […]
Trifecta of Epigenetic Methylation Reveals a Long-Term Profile of Fetal Alcohol ExposureMay 6, 2016During this time of the year, it’s easy to get caught up in landscaping. Regardless of whether your landscaping is of the epigenetic or garden variety, it seems that either way we can all benefit from the wisdom of the old saying, “can’t see the forest for the trees”. Sometimes we just get so caught […]
Liquid Biopsies Reveal More than Sequence: The Epigenomics of Circulating Cell-Free DNAMay 6, 2016Every good captain knows that when your ship is in distress, you send out an SOS. Now, two new papers now leave us wondering if that tactic is borrowed from diseased tissues. Many diseases are characterized by cell death that releases circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) into the blood stream, which can now be analyzed in […]
Cas9 Magic Opens Locked ChromatinMay 2, 2016For all the hoopla over CRISPR/Cas9 and its mystical powers, the system still hasn’t passed the most basic test of any magic talisman – waving it over a locked gate while chanting “open sesame”! Fortunately, a band of scientists led by Amira Barkal and Richard Sherwood have now vindicated CRISPR’s powers, using it to open […]
