Stem Cell Conference Highlights TimelineSeptember 4, 2013Stem Cells are a hot topic these days. Here we provide a history of epigenetic breakthroughs in this interdisciplinary field as told through our Conference Coverage.
Genome-wide and Gene-specific Analysis of DNA MethylationSeptember 3, 2013EpiGenie recently reviewed the text Epigenetics by Jorg Tost. Here is a more in depth summary of one the chapters provided courtesy of JA Gill who is a molecular biologist at NOAA in the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, to give you a little sneak peek into what the whole book is all about: Methods for […]
RRBS and 450k Arrays Face Off Over DNA Methylation AnalysisAugust 27, 2013DNA methylation has been a cornerstone of epigenetics research from the start, and the emergence of technologies that make investigation of the modification more accessible has only made the DNA methylation field even hotter. Several tools and techniques are available to assess DNA methylation levels, but two in particular, reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) and […]
Webinar: Life Long Changes in DNA Methylation & ncRNAs in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)August 22, 2013Western University’s Ben Laufer (Ph.D. Candidate) discusses how bioinformatic software was used to establish that even moderate exposure to alcohol during pregnancy, equivalent to a few beers every now and then, can produce profound and heritable variations in development, behaviour, and learning that are maintained in the exposed fetus for a lifetime by altered epigenetic […]
MECP2 Therapy Deployed to Reverse Rett Syndrome SymptomsAugust 21, 2013They say that cats have nine lives. If that’s true then the idea of ‘Gene Therapy’ must be part feline. Despite several hurdles over the years, gene therapy once again captured the spotlight; this time by demonstrating that replacing mutated MECP2 can reverse the symptoms of Rett Syndrome in mice. The new research led by […]
Methylation Maps Pinpoint Epigenetic Differences in Human TissuesAugust 19, 2013It’s easy to get overwhelmed by just how much data an epigenome can hold. It’s hard to decide exactly where to start studying DNA methylation. Assaying every CpG site in the genome just isn’t practical for most researchers and a lot of money is spent on obtaining uninformative data. “Owing to the relatively small fraction […]
Fetal Stress: The Imprinting of GenerationsAugust 13, 2013Stress gets to us all on occasion. Whether it’s the more familiar stress that leads to hair-tearing-out, or some other version like coping with a bully, plants dealing with temperature changes, or even alcohol exposure as a fetus, stress has been shown to have profound effects on individuals down to an epigenetic level. But as […]
RRBS Dives Deep into Zebrafish Brain MethylomesAugust 12, 2013Get ready for the Zebrafishnado! OK, a tornado filled with cute little aquarium fish isn’t nearly as terrifying as a Sharknado, but a whirlwind of new data on zebrafish methylomes did reveal that their DNA methylation patterns are pretty unique compared to other species, including humans. Scientists from New Zealand realized that no one had […]
DNA Methylation Adds Variety to Human PopulationsAugust 7, 2013If variety is the spice of life, then DNA methylation sure seems to be supplying some of the flavor. A new study shows that DNA methylation isn’t just responsible for the differences in individuals, but for variations in populations as well. We’re no strangers to the way that DNA methylation can differ in diseases and […]
Purity By Design – Zymo Research Cleans Up DNA for Epigenetic AnalysisAugust 6, 2013Question the design of your spin column. All spin columns are not created equal, and designs from some other companies may result in buffer retention, even after centrifugation. The buffer carry-over can contain high concentrations of salts, detergents, and other buffer components that are eventually eluted from the column along with your DNA or RNA […]
