miRNA Discovery: Algorithms, Sequencing and Life Outside miRBaseMay 12, 2009Back in the early days, they were these interesting “genes” with names like “lin” and “let” that appeared highly involved in developmental timing, so much so that they were called small temporal RNAs (stRNAs). A lot more has changed in the field of miRNA discovery than naming mechanisms since those early days when the first […]
miRNAs Driving the Evolution of the Regulatory CockpitMay 8, 2009Recent discoveries in the field of epigenetics continue to transform the “light switch” examples of gene regulation with which the 30+ crowd was schooled into something a little more complicated…like an airplane cockpit. We’re not talking your average Cessna either, more like an Airbus A380. Evidence from a number of miRNA studies have added them […]
miRNAs Get Well Deserved PromotionApril 30, 2009Since we launched EpiGenie, we’ve always considered ourselves big promoters of miRNA. Sure, we cover the big headers in chromatin and DNA methylation too, but it’s hard not to identify with these small, overlooked contributors… (OK enough with our high school sports sob stories). Once again we’ve been humbled by Mother Nature as a novel […]
The Ups and Downs of miR-145 and OCT4 in hESCsApril 30, 2009Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are delicate little creatures. Left to their own devices – especially in culture — they want to differentiate or die. By now you’ve probably heard of the intricate network of factors that allow these cells to retain their stemness – some, like the transcription factors OCT4 and SOX2, prevent differentiation […]
Fine-Tuning mRNA Deliveries with Alternative PolyadenylationApril 28, 2009The US Post Office tried it a few years back when they added those four extra digits onto our zip codes, allowing advertisers to target us with SPAM with utmost precision. At EpiGenie, we too, are always looking for simpler ways to pass along targeted information (RSS feeds, telepathy etc.,) to an ever-increasing population of […]
