ChIP & Bisulfite-Seq Cut Through Chromatin, DNA Methylation ChatterApril 4, 2012There are two sides to every story. Maybe even more if you ask a lawyer. So it only makes sense that two epigenetic mechanisms like chromatin and DNA methylation would each have something to say about the genomic regions they regulate. Two new methods each combine ChIP and bisulfite sequencing in order to cut through […]
Schizophrenia’s DNA Methylation FingerprintsApril 4, 2012By now, we’re all used to hearing about epigenetics in cancer or stem cell research, but its role in mental illness is still a pretty new concept. Understanding how exactly DNA methylation factors into schizophrenia may be a ways off, but new research promises to soon be able diagnose the condition through just a blood […]
Epigenetics at the Intersection of Environment and SelectionFebruary 28, 2012One of the most fascinating things about epigenetics is the implication it has for inheritance and evolution. Theories and hypotheses are everywhere, of course, but until Sir Richard Branson launches a Virgin Time Travel business, actually measuring the changes from thousands of years of natural selection will remain a pretty tall order. Two recent papers […]
Getting your Fix: Optimizing Chromatin Fixation for ChIP AnalysisFebruary 23, 2012Various ChIP methods are filled with all sorts of secret tricks that don’t seem to make it into the textbooks. This is especially true of the chromatin fixation step, where loads of variables make it difficult to pin down the exact conditions you need. Instead of learning the hard way, through failed experiments or apprenticing […]
Epigenetics and TwinsFebruary 8, 2012Every summer outside Cleveland, Ohio identical twins congregate at the Twins Days Festival. Twins from all over join in on an assortment of activities over three days that resembles a massive Doublemint® gum commercial. It’s not just the twins that get stoked for the festival though. As was highlighted in a nice article in National […]
DNA Methylation: 2011 Editor’s FavoritesJanuary 11, 2012DNA methylation research had a little something for everyone in 2011. Not only was it linked to cancer, diet, post-traumatic stress, socio-economic status and heritability; but more was learned about 5-hydroxymethylcytosine as well. As if that wasn’t enough, two new cytosine variants, 5-formylcytosine and 5-carboxylcytsosine, joined the party this year too. We can’t wait to […]
Technology & Methods: 2011 Editor’s FavoritesJanuary 11, 2012Without advanced technology, epigenetic research would flounder. (You’d also probably be reading this on a stone tablet, which are really tricky to post on the web.) Check out our favorite improvements in technologies and methods from 2011 that are making sure epigenetic research is staying on the cutting edge. Single Cell Methylation Profiling The Restriction […]
Non-Coding RNA: 2011 Editor’s FavoritesJanuary 11, 2012Understanding of non-coding RNAs grew by leaps and bounds in 2011, but the more that we learn; the more we get the feeling that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Take a look at some of our favorite articles from the last year that highlights the variety of roles that non-coding RNA play. […]
Chromatin: 2011 Editor’s FavoritesJanuary 11, 2012Chromatin definitely left it’s mark in 2011, making big advances with applications in cancer, stem cell, environmental, and autism research, just to name a few. Check out our favorite chromatin articles from 2011 to help you get ready for what’s coming in 2012. Histone Harm from Nickel Exposure It’s been known for a while that […]
EpiGenie Review: Non-coding RNAs and miRNAs in CancerDecember 9, 2011Based on the latest research, the cancer::non-coding RNA conncection is undeniable. It’s just all the specifics around things like miRNA regulation that are still left to be understood. While dedicated epigenetics investigators are hard at work solving those mechanistic riddles, we’ve decided to take a look back at what’s been learned so far. Here are […]
