Sperm Throw “Three-pointers” to Ensure Transgenerational Epigenetic InheritanceJanuary 26, 2021In the game of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, many labs have been searching for a slam dunk. Now, in a game-changing new article, ballers from the laboratory of Michael K. Skinner (Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA) provide a play-by-play of how teamwork between non-coding RNA expression, DNA methylation, and histone modifications allows rat sperm to […]
Storm Chasing: Cell-Free DNA Methylation Tracks the Severity and Location of COVID-19 DamageJanuary 25, 2021As the COVID-19 cytokine storm brews in our bodies, the severity and location of the damage remains uncertain. However, exciting new findings from a storm chasing team led by Iwijn De Vlaminck (Cornell University) show that cell-free DNA (cfDNA) methylation profiles can track the affected organs and severity of COVID-19 damage in patients. Although we’ve seen that DNA […]
NanoNOMe Combines Nanopore and NOMe-seq to Mine the Allele-specific EpigenomeJanuary 18, 2021Gnomes are small magical creatures that mine for treasures, so you might wonder if a nanoNOMe is an even tinier being. Well actually it’s a new molecular technique, but its applications are nothing short of magical. Several methods have been developed to probe DNA methylation, transcription factors, and chromatin state simultaneously. Many are based on […]
DNA Methylation Can Take You to Higher Ground!January 16, 2021It’s not often that an epigenetics study can elevate you to a higher plane, but uplifting new research into those who live at the top of the world now establishes that DNA methylation profiles can take you higher and higher and support high-altitude living. Researchers led by Ainash Childebayeva (Max Planck Institute for the Study […]
Are My Eggs Getting Old? Single-cell Multiomics Shows that Oocytes Have an Epigenetic TimestampJanuary 13, 2021Unfortunately, real life is not a fairy tale. Unlike Sleeping Beauty, sleeping oocytes are not frozen in time. As oocytes get older, they acquire epigenetic changes that make it harder for them to get on with their baby making business. Important new single-cell multiomics work from Gavin Kelsey’s and Myriam Hemberger’s teams at the Babraham Institute shows […]
