The IsomiR Comsos: Population and Gender DependanciesSeptember 17, 2014While microRNAs have been generally thought of as very homogenous little genomic modulators, some new studies are finding that there is actually an entire miRNA cosmos out there with slight variations that are relevant to gender and population differences in mammals. Over at Thomas Jefferson University, Isidore Rigoutsos and his colleagues have already seen some pretty […]
Rewiring Stem Cell Transcriptional CircuitrySeptember 12, 2014It seems all that was needed for human stem cells to maintain their pluripotent state, was just a little transcriptional rewiring. This cellular circuitry wasn’t handled by a master electrician though, but rather a group of Cambridge area researchers. A collaboration involving the Babraham Institute, Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and the European Bioinformatics Institute, led […]
Webinar: “Precision Mapping”- High Resolution Mapping using ChIP-exoSeptember 12, 2014“Precision Mapping” – High Resolution Mapping Using ChIP-exo Presented by: Bryce Alves Ph.D., Research Scientist at Active Motif Abstract: Transcriptional regulation is a complex mechanism that involves changes in epigenetic modifications, transcription factors and cofactors, and chromatin structure. Loss of controlled transcription is often found in various human diseases, such as what is seen in […]
Keep DNA Methylation Experiments in Check with These ControlsSeptember 12, 2014Specially designed DNA standards and controls may not be flashy, but they are essential for correct experimental design and successful data analysis and without that, you’re going to be struggling to nab that next big publication. But don’t worry, with the proper controls you’ll be able to pinpoint experimental issues with laser precision, not to […]
Hints for Optimizing Bisulfite Primer DesignSeptember 12, 2014The bisulfite conversion experts from Zymo Research have put together a killer guide on the ins and outs of amplifying bisulfite treated DNA. EpiGenie got an exclusive, advanced peek at some of the content that we are sharing with our readers. In this section, they provide some helpful advice on the art of bisulfite primer […]
Total Histone Content Contributes to Embryonic Stem Cell PluripotencySeptember 5, 2014Histones, the powerful regulators of the nucleus that can make our genetic material expand and contract faster than interest rates on the economy, are deeply involved in stem cell differentiation dynamics. But what about the total amount of histones in a cell? Until recently researchers have viewed histone content as fairly fixed, but an Italian […]
450K Hacked: ox-BS Gives Away 5hmC’s secretsSeptember 5, 2014Differentiating between DNA’s celebrity cytosine bases can be harder than remembering all the ‘celebrities’ caught in hollywood’s latest photo leak. But have no fear, because oxidative bisulfite conversion (ox-BS) is here to save the day in a reduced representation way. Normally, bisulfite conversion doesn’t produce a difference in readout between 5mC and 5hmC, but ox-BS overcomes this by treating the DNA […]
Get In Tune with Chromatin: Abcam High Sensitivity ChIP KitsSeptember 3, 2014Today’s epigenetics researchers need to squeeze every last bit of detail from the chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) experiments they run. That’s why Abcam launched their new High Sensitivity ChIP kits; to help bench scientists stay tuned in to what’s going on with the chromatin in their samples. Abcam High Sensitivity ChIP Kits sport some pretty nifty […]
EpiGenie Book Reviews: Epigenetics in PsychiatrySeptember 3, 2014Weighing in at just above 600 pages, Epigenetics in Psychiatry sets out to cover emerging research interests in the world of neuroepigenomics and it’s translation to the clinic. A collection of reviews, rather than a more standard textbook, it is written by researchers in the field with a focus on the background of their research […]
Chromatin Never Forgets to Stay in the LoopSeptember 3, 2014While DNA has long been thought of as the molecular sheriff of inheritance, the epigenome continues to unravel it’s mystery in a western film style, with chromatin as the lasso wielding cowboy that never lets past transgressions slide. It seems that the pericentric heterochromatin (PCH) gang has gone and looted chromatin of it’s transcriptional treasures by some organized crime. […]