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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Tet Finally Gets Caught in the DNA Demethylation Act

January 8, 2014

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, then X-ray crystallography is more like a Game of Thrones novel. The same technology that gave us the double helix structure of DNA way back in the groovy days of genetics has now captured images of Tet doing its demethylation dance with DNA in Naegleria. Xiaodong Cheng and […]

Decrypting Transcription with Dr. Frank Grosveld

January 7, 2014

Dr. Frank Grosveld points out how little we actually know about the details of transcription and the molecular machinery involved. Transcription Factories We have this loop structure of the genome. And at the same time, we know that every gene that’s being transcribed, that’s active, is part of what we call transcription factories. So […]

Decitabine Scores a Cancer Therapy ‘Hat Trick’

January 7, 2014

The cancer treatment field scored a nice win to kick off 2014. Past studies have hinted that epigenome modifying drugs show great potential in the clinic, but new findings from Kunle Odunsi and team at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York has demonstrated that a combinatorial approach using Decitabine (a DNA ‘demethylater’) and […]

Chromatin Interaction Analysis is All About Timing

January 3, 2014

Formaldehyde treatment is a popular way to cross-link proteins and DNA during Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP), an assay that has been widely used to characterize protein-DNA interactions. Now, a team from University of Virginia Health System has enhanced this time-tested formaldehyde fixation approach to understand how fast/slow proteins bind to DNA and the stability of chromatin […]

Epigenetic Technology: 2013 Editor’s Favorites

December 18, 2013

In 2013, technology impacted nearly every facet of our lives: from improving Instagram selfies, to squeezing even more knowledge from epigenetics research. Check out some of our favorite Technology features from the past year: Genome Editing We love the potential of Genome Editing. Led by methods like CRISPR-Cas, this emerging field has really boomed this […]

Epigenetics 101: You Can’t Always Blame Your Parents with Alberto Perez

December 17, 2013

EpiGenie reader Dr. Albert Perez lays out some of the basic concepts behind epigenetics, and explains how being a red-head in Spain started him on a path to explore DNA and the epigenome.

DNA Methylation and Diet: You Are Also What Your Father Ate

December 17, 2013

Freud famously blamed mothers for nearly everything, and when early epigenetic studies indicated that you are what your mom (and grandma and great-grandma) ate, it seemed to back him up. But when it comes to complex traits and environment, a new report from scientists at McGill University (Montreal) found that a father’s diet shapes a child too. […]

Webinar: Covering all the Bases with Genome-Wide 5-mC and 5-hmC Sequencing

December 17, 2013

Covering all the Bases with Genome-Wide 5-mC and 5-hmC Sequencing By Dr Keith Booher, PhD. Manager of Epigenetic Services at Zymo Research Abstract: There is an ever-increasing appreciation for the remarkable ability of epigenetic modifications, such as the methylation of cytosines in DNA (5-mC), to respond to environmental cues and influence gene expression in biological […]

Tet1 Demethylation Wipes the Genomic Imprinting Slate Clean

December 12, 2013

The mechanisms surrounding genomic imprinting has always been a bit of black-box, especially when it comes to the erasure of paternal methylation patterns. A recent study led by Yi Zhang at the Boston Children’s Hospital has made a breakthrough in our understanding of imprinting, showing that Tet1 is a major part of the clean-up crew […]

Promega SIRT-Glo™ Assays Illuminate the Search for Sirtuins

December 11, 2013

Sirtuins (SIRTs) sure seem to getting around. These energetic class III HDAC enzymes have their fingerprints on everything from Alzheimer’s to Inflammation, generating enough spotlight (and even a little controversy) to make even Kanye West a feel little jealous. Promega’s new SIRT-Glo™ Assays and Screening Systems are the latest tool to help researchers study the […]