Webinar – Bringing ChIP Seq Data into Focus: Advanced Normalization StrategiesJuly 23, 2014If you’ve ever struggled to make sense of your ChIP Seq data, then check out this webinar presented by our colleagues at Active Motif, to get some ideas on how to bring some order to the chaos of ChIP-seq. Presented by Brian Egan, Ph.D, Epigenetic Services Manager at Active Motif Normalization of ChIP-seq Data Today, […]
Accelerating Histone Modification DecryptionJuly 23, 2014Unlike some reality show marriages that crack under the media spotlight, the union of automation and big data is still going strong, especially when it comes to cataloging histone post-translational modifications (PTM). Researchers from Princeton University show off a new systematic approach for figuring out just what all those histone PTM combinations are up to […]
5′ UTR miRNA TargetingJuly 21, 2014The nightly news lately makes it seem like the world has gone upside down, and now we’ve got some science to back it. Honglei Zhou and Isidore Rigoutsos from Thomas Jefferson University recently revealed that mammalian miRNA targeting doesn’t always limit itself to 3′ miRNA action. It now seems that in addition to the traditional 3’UTR […]
Chromatin Packaging in Embryonic Stem Cells and SpermJuly 16, 2014Fitting all that chromatin into a tiny package is no easy ordeal, especially when pristine nuclear architecture is so crucial to things like cancer prevention. In order to learn more about the chromatin packaging of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and sperm, a team from the University of Massachusetts Medical School laid out some high-resolution nucleosome and transcription factor […]
Fetal Undernourishment Creates Temporary Transgenerational EffectJuly 11, 2014Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is one hot topic, and it has long been shrouded in skepticism, but a number of cases and mechanistic insights into transgenerational epigenetic inheritance have helped molecular biology move past the limits of genetic determinism. Now a team from the University of Cambridge show that fetal nourishment results in a transgenerational epigenetic effect, rather than true […]
Reaction Biology Scores NIH Grant for Epigenetic Drug DatabaseJuly 11, 2014Epigenetic databases are one of of our favorite futuristic tools and now a time traveling crew from Reaction Biology Corporation (RBC) land a grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) to create an impressive database of epigenetic drug interactions. The team at RBC is undertaking a colossal effort examining a library of 1,400 compounds, including almost every FDA approved drug. […]
Cesarean Alters DNA Methylation in Infant Blood Stem CellsJuly 9, 2014There’s no denying that the process of giving birth is an unforgettable experience for those involved but now it seems the labor of love could also be important for programming an infants development. Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) drop some knowledge about the mechanosensitive nature of DNA methylation and show that birth via Caesarean Section (CS) […]
Keeping Up with the TET Enzyme Family and DNA DemethylationJuly 9, 2014That wacky TET enzyme family is at again, but rather than being caught in some compromising positions with DNA or cheating on Cytosine; this time our favorite enzyme family is slacking off, or as they call it ‘working smart’ and splitting up important active DNA demethylation work. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic provide novel insight into how the TET […]
Targeted Chromatin Capture (T2C)July 7, 2014With great resolution comes great price and manpower requirements, so the demand for a happy medium has remained at large for all those trying to catch some chromatin conformation. New players like Capture-C have stepped up to the plate and now Researchers from the Erasmus University Medical Center (The Netherlands) announce T2C: Targeted Chromatin Capture. Chromosome conformation capture […]
Placental Biomarker Captures Maternal StressJune 30, 2014Stress has a funny way of sneaking up on you, and with the newly understood dangers of stress being transmitted across generations, keeping the drama to a minimum is huge concern for expecting mothers. So, wouldn’t it be nice to have some sort of an early stress warning device? Placental miRNAs have already been used to […]