5hmC Analysis TimelineDecember 10, 2012EpiGenie has probably covered developments in 5hmC more than any topic the last couple of years, so we’ve compiled this timeline for you. Scroll along to see what you may have missed if you’ve been out of the loop or lab for a sabbatical.
New and Improved: Multiplexed Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS)December 7, 2012These days, we’re all about multi-tasking—talking on our cell phones while placing our cappuccino order at Starbucks and tweeting about it all on our tablets. In that same vein, researchers report an optimized protocol for multi-tasking (well, technically “multiplexing”) reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) for ramped-up DNA methylation data. RRBS is great, churning out methylation […]
The Daily Rhythms of Transcription and the EpigenomeDecember 7, 2012We all have a daily routine. For much of the EpiGenie office staff, that includes getting out of bed, brushing our teeth, going to work, grabbing a coffee, clocking a few hours on Facebook and complaining that there aren’t enough hours in the day. Now, researchers say that transcription and epigenetic modifications in mouse liver […]
Low Cell ChIP-SeqNovember 28, 2012Chilly, wintry temps have us longing for palm trees, sandy beaches, and the limbo call of “How low can you go?” Researchers in Norway and Germany have the answer—and a new ChIP-seq method that allows them to analyze genome-wide DNA-protein interaction data for samples that have very few cells, without culturing (which could alter epigenetic […]
Epigenetic Drift in Stem CellsNovember 28, 2012Living for a while in a new environment can have a big effect on how you dress, talk, and act. Just listen to Madonna’s British accent. Likewise, taking bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) out of the body and into the in vitro cell-culture environment can change them—but not necessarily for the better. In order […]
MNase-Seq Produces High Resolution Nucleosome Positioning MapsNovember 27, 2012Nucleosomes don’t have GPS, so how do they know where to go? Are they haphazardly strewn across the genome or is there some logic to it? Researchers now say they have some answers. They found that DNA sequence and DNA-binding proteins play roles in determining where nucleosomes end up, and that most nucleosomes are more […]
One Step ChIP with Abcam’s EpiSeeker ChIP KitNovember 20, 2012Antibody companies like Abcam run a ton of ChIP experiments, so they’re all too familiar with the amount of variability that can lurk in every step of the ChIP protocol. So what’s the safest way to reduce variability and get consistent results? Reduce the steps of course; and that’s exactly what the EpiSeeker ChIP Kit […]
Lentiviral Vectors Can Cause Epigenetic ModificationsNovember 20, 2012Stem cell programming has been buzzing the last few years and with recent work suggesting that epigenetic and ncRNA factors are manipulative enough to star in TV drama, we expect the excitement to continue. But according to a recent report, researchers may need to keep close tabs on how the very methods they use to […]
miR 126 Sponges: The Gift for the Stem Cell Researcher that has EverythingNovember 20, 2012The gift giving started bit early this year for the stem cell community as an international team of researchers shared key findings that could transform clinical applications of human blood stem cells. They wrapped up miR-126 binding sites in lentiviral vectors and put a serious smack down on miR-126 activity in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). […]
EpiGenie 5hmC Technology GuideOctober 31, 2012A couple of years ago, researchers keen to analyze 5-hmC had a couple of options, but those early approaches couldn’t quite satisfy all of their increasing demands. Fast-forward a bit and it’s a very different story. Today there’s a plethora of options, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. As a result, one of the […]