Like the energy drink cans and protein bar wrappers that litter the table after an epic writing session, by-products generally represent undesirable items created during the generation of a more desirable object. Recycling can put some writing by-products to further use, and studies have now highlighted that biological by-products derived from cellular metabolism can also […]
- Chromatin
Histone Hangover: Alcohol Metabolism Actively Alters Acetylation in the Brain
We’ve all been warned — from our teachers, our parents, or from outrageous college movies — if you overindulge with booze you may not remember much the next morning. Now, exciting new research shows that an alcohol metabolite can alter our brain’s histone acetylation and can mix up memories at the molecular level. Neurons make […]
Studying TAD Boundary Issues Through Epigenome Editing of CTCF Motifs
So, your therapist says you have boundary issues? Well you’re not alone; CTCF is known to play a critical role in setting the boundaries of topologically associating domains (TADs), but there’s been no therapist to uncover their definitive impact. Thankfully, new research from the lab of Bradley Bernstein at the Harvard Medical School (Boston, USA) […]
It’s a Bear, It’s a Pig, it’s a Tardigrade! Superhero Dsup Protein Protects Chromatin from Harm
Some superheroes wear flashy costumes and capes that you can’t help but notice, but then there’s the unassuming tardigrade; the microscopic wonder beast with the astounding ability to survive extreme temperatures, radiation, and the vacuum of space! With multiple secret identities, including “water bear” and “moss piglet”, the discrete invertebrate has kept the key to […]
A Perfect Harmony: Orchestrating Joint Chromatin Conformation and Methylome Mapping in Single Cells
If a better understanding of gene regulation is music to your ears, then tune in for the latest developments in single-cell epigenomics. It is well established that both DNA methylation and higher-order chromatin structure play crucial roles in development, differentiation and disease, and there are readily available technologies for both (whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and chromatin […]