epigenetics

Epigenetics and ncRNA Headlines

Get all the latest highlights from the literature and special features covering trending epigenetics, ncRNA, and gene regulation research.

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Top Upcoming Epigenetics Conferences

July 14, 2016

In today’s omic world databases are crucial, which is why always we keep our conference-ome up to date. Here’s a taste of what 2016 has left to offer for your next educational epigenetic excursion. EMBL’s Transcription and Chromatin (Heidelberg, Germany – Aug 27-30) Interested in transcription? Then this is the conference for you! This meeting […]

scAba-seq: Single-Cell, Genome-Wide, and Strand-Specific 5hmC Sequencing

July 6, 2016

Usually, you don’t want your genome sequencing served up with a sugar coating; however, thanks to a clever a new 5hmC sequencing technique, we can indulge in some sweet single-cell and strand-specific insight. The study of 5hmC (5-Hydroxymethylcytosine) prevalence in DNA typically involves utilizing modified bisulfite sequencing, 5hmC specific antibodies, or restriction enzymes. Aba-seq makes […]

Epigenetic Assays Get Clinical: Comparison of DNA Methylation Assays and More

June 27, 2016

Four new papers co-published by an international consortium demonstrate and further the clinical potential of epigenetic assays. The series of manuscripts was led by Christoph Bock (CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences) and Stephan Beck (University College London). Comparison of DNA Methylation Assays Suited for the Clinic While there […]

Evolution Uses Bivalent Chromatin to Control Mammalian Development

June 22, 2016

A big event always requires a bit of prior preparation, and for evolution, mammalian development is no exception. The mammalian body plans have undergone massive evolutionary rearrangements and diversifications requiring the evolution of complex gene expression profiles. Recent studies in specific tissues in mammalian species have now linked these expression changes to the evolution of […]

The Mixed Messages of Bivalent Chromatin

June 14, 2016

Navigating the epigenetic landscape is no easy feat. Clear markings and smooth rides through its canals can quickly give way to a hectic hodgepodge of mixed signals and uncertain routes. A great example is bivalent chromatin, which contains marks of both activation and repression. Characterized by Bernstein et al. in 2006, the most studied bivalent […]

Promiscuous Bacteria Swap Epigenetics

May 20, 2016

Humans have good reasons to worry about our epigenetics. DNA decorations have big impacts on our gene expression and health, and we can inadvertently change them through such lifestyle choices as smoking, having parents, or getting old. We multicellular organisms can, at least, breathe easy that epigenetics aren’t contagious, but it turns out the same […]

Age, Sequence, and DNA Methylation are Culprits of Lactose Intolerance

May 20, 2016

While fine wine and aged cheese are culinary delights, some of us who dine on dairy often start to go a bit ‘sour’ with age and develop lactose intolerance. Thankfully, to aid our mental digestion of such a foul fate, a collaborative effort between Toronto and Lithuania has shown the molecular mechanism of why we can […]

On Demand Demethylation with dCas9-TET1

May 16, 2016

Every researcher loves a good tool, and lately, it seems that CRISPR might be an even more modular tool than PCR. Attesting to the modularity of CRISPR/Cas9 is catalytically deactivated Cas9 (dCas9). dCas9 has the precision of Cas9, when combined with sgRNA, and can be fused to a modular effector domain that allows for extra […]

Trifecta of Epigenetic Methylation Reveals a Long-Term Profile of Fetal Alcohol Exposure

May 6, 2016

During this time of the year, it’s easy to get caught up in landscaping. Regardless of whether your landscaping is of the epigenetic or garden variety, it seems that either way we can all benefit from the wisdom of the old saying, “can’t see the forest for the trees”. Sometimes we just get so caught […]

Liquid Biopsies Reveal More than Sequence: The Epigenomics of Circulating Cell-Free DNA

May 6, 2016

Every good captain knows that when your ship is in distress, you send out an SOS. Now, two new papers now leave us wondering if that tactic is borrowed from diseased tissues. Many diseases are characterized by cell death that releases circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) into the blood stream, which can now be analyzed in […]