Automated Epigenetics: Diagenode’s SX-8G IP-Star Compact SystemJuly 6, 2011After slaving away all day at the bench just to run a handful of epigenetic assays, you’ve probably wished that there were some sort of robot around that could do most of the work for you. Now, Diagenode’s SX-8G IP-Star Compact Automation System turns that fantasy into a reality. The IP-Star Compact instrument harnesses the […]
Cancer Cells Keep Their Methylome Options OpenJuly 6, 2011As new research finds tumor cells don’t like to be tied to just one methylation pattern, they prefer a variety. In fact, that variation within tumors gives cells a big leg-up in challenging environments, and possibly even helps them avoid detection and treatment. Building on their earlier work on CpG shores and stochastic variation, the […]
EpiGenie Environmental Epigenetics ReviewJuly 6, 2011Thanks to growing interest from the general public, environmental epigenetics is a red-hot topic with no signs of cooling off anytime soon. We’ve certainly covered our fair share of research with an environmental slant to it, so if you want to review, research, or just plain get up to speed on the subject, these articles […]
Hitting the (Hair Dye) Bottle May Alter DNA MethylomeJuly 6, 2011If you change your hair color more frequently than Lady Gaga, you may be affecting your DNA methylation patterns, according to a new study in the journal Epigenetics. To gain a better understanding of the “normal” human methylome, researchers used BeadChip arrays to analyze the methylation of 26,486 CpG loci in the blood of 205 […]
Folic Acid During Pregnancy: Friend or Foe?June 30, 2011Most of us have a hard time keeping up with the latest health recommendations . . . what’s good one year turns out to be a bad idea the next (kinda like the final season of Lost). For years, doctors have been telling women to take folic acid supplements before and during pregnancy to prevent […]