Kit Competition Reveals Hacks to Help Bisulfite ConversionApril 16, 2014At first pass it may seem like all bisulfite conversion kits are essentially the same – and for the most part, that’s true. But according to a recently published evaluation, the conversion is all in the details, and if those are overlooked it can have a big impact on the results. Fortunately, researchers from the […]
DNA Methylation Sorts Out Cell Type HeterogeneityMarch 31, 2014While all of our cells share an almost indistinguishable genome, the variation created by the epigenome makes sorting and tackling the heterogeneity of cell types in your favorite homogenate a bigger task than finding a Yeti in a snow storm. Now a search and rescue team from Brown University has utilized DNA methylation profiles to breathe […]
Zinc Fingers Clinch Clinical Gold Medal Against HIVMarch 10, 2014It’s a little late to qualify for the 2014 Winter Olympics, but Genome Editing still scored a huge translational gold medal. Deploying Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN) genome editing techniques, researchers have edited the CCR5 ‘trojan horse’ receptor that HIV uses to infect our immune system’s vital CD4 T cells. ZFNs have shown promise with their combination of […]
Epigenetics Special Issue: Non-coding RNAs in Epigenetic RegulationFebruary 17, 2014From the very beginning, EpiGenie has held a place in our hearts for non-coding RNAs. That’s why we were stoked to see that the Landes journal Epigenetics dedicated an entire issue to the enigmatic and always interesting little transcripts. The Epigenetics: Special Focus on Non-coding RNAs in Epigenetic Regulation issue features a boatload of reviews […]
Environmental Epigenetics TimelineFebruary 11, 2014Thanks to growing interest from the general public, environmental epigenetics is a red-hot topic with no signs of cooling off anytime soon. We’ve certainly covered our fair share of research with an environmental slant to it, so if you want to review, research, or just plain get up to speed on the subject, these articles […]
Epigenetics of Cancer TimelineFebruary 9, 2014Epigenetic mechanisms have been studied in cancer for decades. Unfortunately, we haven’t been around that long, but check out these great articles that capture the recent history of epigenetic breakthroughs in cancer.
Methylation Separates Men from MonkeysJanuary 21, 2014While we may share ‘99% of our genes’ with chimps, some cutting edge research has shown that when it comes to evolution, taking the stance of pure genetic determinism may just make a monkey out of you. The gene bringing today’s lesson? CNTNAP2, one of nature’s largest, with a role in human-specific language abilities and […]
Epigenetic Love Triangle of Testicular CancerJanuary 20, 2014Politics makes for strange bedfellows, and now it seems, so does testicular cancer. According to recent research, a trio of vastly different mechanisms all contribute to a carcinogenic epigenetic chain of events involving DNAm, retroviruses, and PIWI/piRNA machinery. PIWI proteins are an Argonaute family protein subclass and have little RNA buddies known as small regulatory PIWI-interacting […]
Tet Finally Gets Caught in the DNA Demethylation ActJanuary 8, 2014If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then X-ray crystallography is more like a Game of Thrones novel. The same technology that gave us the double helix structure of DNA way back in the groovy days of genetics has now captured images of Tet doing its demethylation dance with DNA in Naegleria. Xiaodong Cheng and […]
Epigenetic Technology: 2013 Editor’s FavoritesDecember 18, 2013In 2013, technology impacted nearly every facet of our lives: from improving Instagram selfies, to squeezing even more knowledge from epigenetics research. Check out some of our favorite Technology features from the past year: Genome Editing We love the potential of Genome Editing. Led by methods like CRISPR-Cas, this emerging field has really boomed this […]