An Oliver’s Twist on an Old Tale: Orphan CpGs Will Have You Asking for MoreJuly 17, 2021Move over Oliver Twist, there’s a new orphan in town to satisfy our hunger for stories of DNA methylation. Two new tales of orphan CpGs help them find a home in our hearts and epigenomes through the application of cutting-edge epigenomics techniques and genetic engineering to embryonic stem cells and neuronal cells. Making the Right Connections: […]
It’s Nature versus Nurture in an Epigenetic Rejuvenation Face-off!July 15, 2021The age-old battle of nature versus nurture has entered new frontiers with two exciting studies exploring different mechanisms that drive “epigenetic rejuvenation” – also known as the science of how our old and creaky DNA methylation-based epigenetic clocks can be wound back into a frolicking and fancy-free state. Together, these studies demonstrate the two faces […]
Environmental Fountain of Youth: Enrichment Prevents Aging-Induced DNA Methylation ChangesJuly 15, 2021A restricted diet, regular exercise at the gym, not drinking too much… Acts of deprivation and suffering are supposed to guide us on our quest to the foundation of youth. Thankfully, exciting new epigenetic findings show us that it’s time to learn a lesson from the hedonists by demonstrating how environmental enrichment protects us from […]
A Fishy Tale of Intergenerational Epigenetic Inheritance of DNA Methylation in a Foul EnvironmentJuly 5, 2021Although the impact of toxic exposure on our epigenome can leave a bad taste, a recent study into hydrogen sulfide transcends the senses by hitting the smell category too. Building on their previous fishy tale of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, the lab of Michael K. Skinner (Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA) recently explored a new species […]
Single-Cell ATAC-seq Shows that Chromatin Remodeling Allows Immune Cells to Remember COVID-19June 24, 2021While few will remember the last eighteen months with any great fondness, the memory of our immune cells represents a critical facet controlling long-lasting responses induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and exposure to vaccines. In an unforgettable study, researchers led by Liang Chen, Mark M. Davis, and Pengyuan Yang now demonstrate […]
An Inclusive EWAS Filters Through the Trans-ethnic and Ethnic-specific DNA Methylation Profiles of Kidney FunctionJune 11, 2021Diversity and inclusion are important components of our modern society, and epigenomics is no exception. To build on our knowledge of ethnic differences and similarities, an inclusive epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of kidney function has come forth to filter the hits. A group led by Charles Breeze (National Cancer Institute) and Nora Franceschini (University of North Carolina) conducted […]
New Single-cell CRISPR Screens “ATAC” Chromatin AccessibilityJune 6, 2021Have you been struggling to agree on a plan of action for your recent epigenetic experiments? Have you been fighting over just what strategy to use to decipher how genetic alterations affect the epigenetic landscape? While we should all follow John and Yoko’s example and try to give peace a chance, you sometimes need to […]
Where’s the Cancer Driver? MethSig Cuts Through the Background Noise to Identify Oncogenic Promoter HypermethylationMay 26, 2021As any TikTokker, Zoom presenter, or amateur photographer worth their salt can tell you, sometimes a good background is all you need to make your content really pop. It turns out that the same principle applies when trying to figure out which promoter DNA hypermethylation events drive tumor growth. MethSig, a new algorithm developed by Heng Pan in Dan Landau’s group at Weill Cornell Medicine, improves […]
CRISPRon, CRISPRoff… Two New Tools to Earn You the Black Belt in Hit-and-Run Epigenetic EditingMay 17, 2021Power, accuracy, and stability are the three tenets of hit-and-run epigenetic editing that every aspiring black belt must learn to master. To aid our quest, masters from the dojos of Luke Gilbert (University of California, San Francisco) and Jonathan Weissman (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) have come forth with not only new mantra but also a new set […]
Timing is Everything – Even for Maintaining the Global Epigenetic State of Human Cells!May 17, 2021They say that timing is everything – from the perfect golf shot to the most cutting joke – and now, a well-timed study establishes that DNA replication timing is everything when it comes to maintaining the global epigenetic state of human cells! Studies had previously described a link between the temporal order of DNA replication […]