Comparing Long ncRNAs lincRNAsNovember 11, 2009Despite all of the attention to the non-coding transcriptome lately, our knowledge about what most long intergenic non-coding RNA (lncRNA) transcripts do – if indeed they do anything at all, still has more holes than a Dunkin’ Donut shop. Luckily there are folks out there willing to step in to take on the dirty job […]
Epigenetic Drugs: More Than Hype in the PipelineNovember 5, 2009It’s 10 p.m. on a Friday night, and you’re still stuck in the lab doing ChIP assays. As the piercing whine of the sonicator frays your last nerve, you ask yourself again, “Why did I go into epigenetics research…why couldn’t I have chosen something simpler and more straightforward (like rocket science)?” At times like these, […]
The Shores of CpG Islands Reveal Differences Between iPS and ES cellsNovember 5, 2009With headquarters in Del Mar, CA, you don’t have to tell us that the shores are where the action is, so it makes sense that the shores of CpG islands are a hot spot for epigenetic movers and shakers like DNAm. In fact, researchers have found evidence in the shores of CpG islands that induced […]
To “B-cell” Or Not To “B-cell” – DNA Methylation & Stem Cell FateNovember 4, 2009We doubt that Shakespeare was thinking of DNA methylation and stem cell differentiation when he penned that famous line, and yet somehow it seems to apply here. Recent work led by Frank Rosenbauer at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin has revealed some of the first insights into the causal relationships between […]
Context Is Key for miRNA Target SitesNovember 4, 2009If your boss were to tell you that you’re acting like a real ass, you’d probably start packing your desk, unless you’re auditioning for Eeyore in that upcoming Winnie the Pooh play in which case you’d be stoked. So much in life is all about the context…and miRNA regulation is no exception. A recent report […]
