CRISPR/Cas9 Caught Causing A CureApril 9, 2014The CRISPR/Cas9 genetic editing system has soaked up the media spotlight faster than anything not named Kardashian. But unlike that famous clan, recent research indicates that there may be good reason that the science paparazzi just can’t seem to get enough of CRISPR/Cas9. After making the leap from basic discovery to zebrafish to monkeys, a […]
Zymo Research Converts Sequencers into Epigenetic AnalyzersApril 7, 2014Next-Gen Sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized scientific research, but when it comes to epigenetic exploration, scientists have had to make do with sequencing library prep methods from other non-epigenetic applications. The crew at Zymo Research has found a way to adapt sequencers for epigenetic research, without having to completely retrofit the instrument. With the introduction of […]
Take the BS Out of Bisulfite Data Analysis with the DMAP Analysis SuiteApril 2, 2014Tools and databases always make mapping our world a little easier, whether its used to train as Google’s next pokemaster or figuring out what to do with your heaps of fancy new reduced representation bisulphite sequencing (RRBS) or whole genome bisulphite sequencing (WGBS) data. A talented team of epigenome hackers from the University of Otago (New Zealand) have just put […]
Histone Code Tips the Scales of DevelopmentMarch 31, 2014All of life is a balancing act. Whether you’re walking the tight-rope in a circus, or the epigenome regulating gene expression its all about treading a fine line. Recently a team from the Institute of Medical Biology in Singapore found, while examining frog development, that there is an optimal ratio of the repressive histone H3 and […]
DNA Methylation Sorts Out Cell Type HeterogeneityMarch 31, 2014While all of our cells share an almost indistinguishable genome, the variation created by the epigenome makes sorting and tackling the heterogeneity of cell types in your favorite homogenate a bigger task than finding a Yeti in a snow storm. Now a search and rescue team from Brown University has utilized DNA methylation profiles to breathe […]