“Is this the real-life? Is this just fantasy?” – CultureAGE Shows How In Vitro Studies Reflect In Vivo Epigenetic AgingFebruary 21, 2022Profiling epigenetic aging with in vitro cell models may allow for a deeper understanding of the difficult-to-decipher in vivo process, but only if one truly reflects the other; this leaves us wondering: “Is this the real-life? Is this just fantasy?” In their epigenetic rock opera, bohemians from the lab of Morgan Levine (Yale School of […]
Epigenetic “Baby-steps” Repress Germline Genome-defense During DevelopmentFebruary 4, 2022Much like a set of helping hands can guide, support, and protect a toddler taking their first steps, the guiding force of epigenetics during embryonic development ensures genome stability and supports healthy development by regulating the expression of key genes. Such genes include DNA methylation-sensitive “germline genome-defense” genes, which undergo DNA demethylation and become expressed […]
scAge – A Single-cell DNA Methylation Clock Details Epigenetic Aging and RejuvenationJanuary 10, 2022With the new year comes a fresh start, but does the aging epigenome of each one of our cells share this sentiment? To help get your new year off to the right start, a new program known as “scAge” allows the determination of the age of single cells via DNA methylation and reveals insight into […]
A Youthful Brain Boost via DNA Hydroxymethylation: TET1 Enters the Myelin Repair Technician’s ToolkitDecember 13, 2021Does it feel like your aging brain cells have been firing a little slower lately? Why not refresh your connection and speed up your synaptic signal transmission with a visit from your oligodendrocyte myelin repair technicians. Their youthful TET1 and DNA hydroxymethylation repair kit will bring you back to fiber-optic speeds in no time. This […]
dCas9 Hinders DNA Methylation to Cast Off the Confounds from CausalityNovember 4, 2021Our day-to-day experiences provide a clear understanding of cause-and-effect; a lab mate’s birthday means cake for lunch, and cake for lunch means hours of hard work in the gym! While this cake-centric concept might be simple and easy to follow, the seemingly straightforward causal relationship between DNA demethylation and the upregulation of gene expression, much […]
Epigenetics Takes the Wheel as the Brain Mapping Project Gets Motoring!October 30, 2021It’s easy to get lost when motoring down the epigenetic landscape; thankfully, a group of cunning cartographers from the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative Cell Census Network (or BICCN for short) has generated single-cell maps to guide your voyage of the brains’ motor cortex. Although this epigenetic road trip may be too long […]
KLF4 Condensation Gets Your Epigenome in Shape with the Help of DNA MethylationOctober 18, 2021While juices and shakes may be nothing but a fitness fad for those looking to get into serious shape, liquid-liquid biomolecular condensation has washed away previous paradigms by highlighting its vital role in gene regulation and chromatin organization. Now, a rather fit new study has described how biomolecular drop-like condensates of the reprogramming factor KLF4 […]
A Pack of Hyenas Gets the Last Laugh: Early Social Networks Change DNA Methylation and Adult Stress IndicatorsAugust 1, 2021Ever wonder what that pack of hyenas is laughing about? Well, it may just be your social status. But don’t stress over it too much, because they’ve given us a truly wild idea in this DNA methylation marvel: Having more friends and spending more time with them in early life makes for less stress at […]
Selfies from Beyond the Grave: CelFiE Deconvolutes Cell-free DNA Methylation MessagesJuly 27, 2021Although receiving a selfie from beyond the grave might sound disturbing, posthumous snapshots from dying cells in the form of the cell-free DNA (cfDNA) they release can help prevent us from entering an early grave. Giving Snapchat a run for its money is a new program called CelFiE (CELl Free DNA Estimation via expectation-maximization), which […]
Getting Cheeky with Buccal Collection Methods: The Swab vs. Saliva Cellular Heterogeneity ShowdownJuly 23, 2021There’s nothing tongue in cheek when it comes to the consideration of buccal cell heterogeneity in sample collections methods. Although buccal epithelial cells are the target given their relationship with the brain DNA methylome, immune cells come along for the ride. As the lab of Jeffery Craig (Deakin University, Australia) has previously shown, buccal epithelial cell sample collection […]