Recycling: Keeping the Planet Green and the Histone Modification Landscape Pristine!September 22, 2018Recycling represents one of the most important strategies to keep the planet clean and green for generations to come. Used paper, metal, and plastic and other assorted detritus generally encounter a second use, but can we recycle the histone proteins that help to package our DNA and maintain cell-type-specific transcriptional programs? A lean, clean, and […]
Forget a Moment on the Lips, DNA Methylation Disruptions from a Night Without Sleep Could Mean ‘Forever’ on the HipsSeptember 20, 2018While staring at the alarm clock isn’ta great way to catch a healthy night’s sleep, the lull of our circadian rhythm most certainly is. The circadian clock keeps our cells and their epigenomes in shape by maintaining synchrony with the day, and now new findings from the lab of Christian Benedict at Uppsala University (Sweden) […]
To Bee or Not to Bee Queen: The Role of Chromatin Structure in Honey Bee Caste DeterminationSeptember 2, 2018We’d all like to be queen for a day, but most of us weren’t born into royalty. In the honey bee world, your queen status is also determined pretty early on—only 96 hours after hatching. New research has uncovered more epigenetic modifications that determine who gets to be queen bee. And who better to study […]
Neurons Make the Most of m6A mRNA MethylationAugust 29, 2018Move over DNA methylation, take a seat histone modification, it’s time to make room for RNA methylation. When you think of the importance of epigenetics to brain function and cognition, you probably think of well characterized changes DNA methylation, histone marks, and ncRNA. Well you better make some room in your own neural networks, because […]
All-Access Pass: Mouse Chromatin Accessibility at the Single Cell LevelAugust 14, 2018An “all-access” pass to a concert might get you behind the scenes with the band, but as a scientist wouldn’t you rather go behind the scenes in a cell, and get the inside scoop on the regulation of gene expression? (No? Just us?) Fortunately, new research from the labs of Cole Trapnell and Jay Shendure […]
Multi-Contact 4C (MC-4C): Nanopore Sequencing Captures Multi-Way Chromosome Conformations of Single-AllelesAugust 7, 2018While chromosomes have been captured in promiscuous situations before, a tiny spying device of the genomic variety has captured chromosomes in some of their most intimate conformations. By applying Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) MinION portable sequencer to the study of chromosome contacts, the labs of Wouter de Laat and Jeroen de Ridder at Utrecht University […]
Chill Out with Dad: Sperm DNA Methylation Changes in Response to Paternal Cold ExposureJuly 31, 2018When you think of the ideal place to live, most of us yearn for the tropics. But it turns out there may be some extra benefits to living in a cold climate (and not just lower rent!). New research from an international collaboration led by the lab of Dr. Christian Wolfrum at ETH Zurich may […]
Epigenetic Teamwork Makes the Stem Cell Dream Work!July 30, 2018Many years before the beginning of the Common Era, the ancient Greek philosopher and scientist Aristotle first exclaimed that the “the whole is more than the sum of its parts”. Now, collaborative research led by Wei Li and Margaret A. Goodell (Baylor College of Medicine, Texas, USA) that sought to describe the interplay of epigenetic modifiers […]
Sweet Success! DNA Hydroxymethylation Link Between Diabetes and Cancer Discovered!July 25, 2018Patients with diabetes do not get a sweet deal; the long-term complications associated with high blood sugar levels include cardiovascular disease, stroke, eye damage, kidney disease, and foot ulcers. Additionally, diabetic patients suffer from a higher risk of developing cancer, although quite how prolonged high blood sugar levels drives genetic and/or epigenetic alterations towards tumorigenesis […]
Flipping the EpiSwitch on Chromosome Conformation as a Diagnostic Tool for ALSJuly 17, 2018Looking to get switched on to new uses of epigenetics in the clinic? Check out EpiSwitch™, a platform for developing chromatin conformation diagnostics. One of the biggest challenges in genetic medicine is disease heterogeneity, both in terms of getting a diagnosis and determining the best treatment course. Often, genetic changes can only account for a […]