Epigram: Predicting the Human Epigenome from DNA MotifsOctober 16, 2014There’s no denying the power of technology in our lives, whether it be your latest and greatest iPhone bending in your pocket or it be getting the technology to do something more useful, like predict the entire epigenome and how it functions in the regulation of gene expression. We’ve always loved a good tool and/or […]
Enhancers Share their Genome Editing Turn Ons (and Offs)October 13, 2014Tired of not knowing what really turns an enhancer on? You’re not alone, but luckily an inquisitive team of researchers out of Cambridge spent some serious time targeting enhancers by throwing some genome editing wizardry at them. The team, led by Pentao Liu, systematically compared how the TALE effectors and CRISPR targeting tools fare in […]
More Cleavage: CRISPR Cas9 Can Target RNA TooOctober 11, 2014Targeted genome editing using CRISPR/Cas9 has been on the forefront of genome editing research lately. The Cas9 system is effective, efficient, and reliably specific in its approach to cleavage of nucleotides of interest. The catalytic activity of Cas9 depends on its ability to recognize short DNA sequences called the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM). Although it’s […]
Turning the Tables on Bacteria with CRISPR-Cas AntimicrobialsOctober 11, 2014Fighting pathogenic bacteria can be as frustrating as being an early adopter of electronic gadgets. You grab the latest smart phone, and the following day leaks of the next generation are hitting the net. The broad-spectrum nature of many antibiotics is partially to blame as they destroy our friendly bacteria and contribute to resistance. Lucky for […]
Are LncRNAs the Future of Non-Invasive Prostate Cancer Testing?October 9, 2014Prostate cancer is the leading cause of mortality in North-American men and as a result many are forced to the clinic for some rather invasive biopsies, but thanks to some cool epigenetics involving lncRNAs, those once dreaded trips to the doctor’s office may soon be replaced a much less invasive urine test. Ranjan Perera and crew […]
