Prenatal Exposure to Smoking is Associated with a Long-Term Mark on CpG MethylationApril 6, 2016Pregnancy is a sensitive period for a developing embryo/fetus where cues from the environment are incorporated into the epigenome where they can have long-term implications. While certain prenatal exposures, like alcohol and smoking, are well known to produce a number of negative health outcomes, they remain the largest cause of preventable birth defects and are […]
eBook: DNA Demethylation in DevelopmentMarch 19, 2016This ebook provides an introduction to the key cytosine base modifications: 5-methylcytosine, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-formylcytosine (5fC), and 5-carboxylcytosine (5caC) that have been at the center of intense study in recent years. Inside, we’ve compiled numerous highlights that provide background on how these modifications function in DNA demethylation and also highlight the growing data that captures the role of demethylation […]
Manipulating DNA Methylation with dCas9-DNMT3AMarch 19, 2016Almost immediately after its inception as a biotechnological tool, CRIPSR/Cas9 showed that it was more than just a genome editor. Deactivated Cas9 (dCas9) is a precision RNA-guided DNA-binding domain with a growing range of effector domains that can be swapped out like LEGO. When it comes to epigenome editing with dCas9, histones have led the […]
Peeping in on Dynamic All-or-None Single-Cell Chromatin RepressionMarch 6, 2016Ever dream of knowing the single-cell details of chromatin regulators in real-time only to awake trapped in the static world of heterogenous cell populations? Well, dream no longer because thanks to the efforts of the Elowitz laboratory at Caltech researchers now have the ability to see just how some of our favorite epigenetic repressors (HDAC4, KRAB, DNMT3B […]
Elevate Your Epigenetics Game with DeepBlue and epiGbsMarch 2, 2016When it comes time to tackle the big data of the epigenome, tools and databases are your best friend. However, in today’s modern world, there’s more than one way to crack the epigenome and now two new tools serve up some interesting perspectives on the use of reference sequence. Going Deep into Databases Felipe Albrecht […]
Aspirin and lncRNA Team Up on TumorsMarch 1, 2016Over 100 years ago, the founder of chemotherapy, Paul Ehrlich, coined the term “magic bullet” to describe an ideal therapeutic agent used to target disease, such as cancer. Since then, we have assessed many different anti-tumorigenic compounds, although we are only beginning to understand just how some of these bullets hit their target. This understanding, […]
MeRIP-seq, N1-methyladenosine (m1A), and the Expanding EpitranscriptomeFebruary 23, 2016There’s no denying that understanding a new language can be tricky. Without a complete alphabet, the most important messages can be lost in translation. When it comes to complex languages, the epigenome is no exception. There are a number of RNA base modifications involved in post transcriptional regulation, including pseudouridine (Ψ) and 5hmC, and there’s […]
Towards Blood DNA Methylation as a Pan-Cancer Surveillance ScreenFebruary 5, 2016Early and less tedious cancer diagnosis can prevent future complications and improve patient outcome, however past studies have revealed that the markers of most cancers are as unique as snowflakes. An enticing solution for this heterogeneity would be to screen for any type of cancer using one detection system to ‘rule them all’. Differential DNA […]
DNA Methylation and Transcription Data from Single Stem CellsJanuary 28, 2016Ever wanted to be able to do two things at the same time? Like work and have a social life? Eat pizza and still fit in your new purchases? Pat your head and rub your belly? While these highly important combinations remain almost impossible (at least for the EpiGenie staff), a stellar cast of scientists […]
Stress Accelerates Epigenetic AgeingDecember 18, 2015The epigenetic clock has developed faster than the iWatch: it can predict biological age from select CpGs, which when compared with chronological age, gives a metric known as Δ-age. The greater the difference, the greater the acceleration of epigenetic age, which indicates variation in the rate of senescence between people. To understand this variation and […]
