Optogenetic Epigenetic Editing of DNA Methylation Puts You in Control of Stem Cell FateFebruary 16, 2017In Greek mythology, the fates forge the strings of life that control our lives and choose the moment of its end. We mere mortals yearn for such powers and we are now one step closer to the light thanks to an optogenetic epigenome editing system that lets you write and erase DNA methylation to control […]
In Vivo Gene Editing Strategy has CRISPR-Cas9 on the BrainFebruary 16, 2017Are you crazy for CRISPR-Cas9? Are you gaga for in vivo gene editing? You should probably get out more, but in the meantime we have just the study for you. A new Nature Biotechnology study from the lab of Jennifer A Doudna has described a major step toward the in vivo application of CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene […]
Pool Party: CRISPR + DropSeq For Better Pooled ScreeningFebruary 16, 2017For those living in the more Northern climes, this is just about the time when you would give nearly anything for a sunny pool party. When it comes to pool parties, CRISPR turns out to be a pretty good host, but with one important caveat – CRISPR pool parties tend to be life-or-death affairs. Pooled […]
Large Chromatin Domains Drive Pancreatic Cancer’s Sugar RushFebruary 14, 2017A sugar rush can fuel many things. It can power the late-night experiments demanded by reviewer number 3 or it can drive tumor evolution. Fueled by both these factors, new insight into the linked metabolic-epigenetic mechanisms of metastasis comes at you from a collaborative effort led by the lab of Andrew Feinberg in the Center […]
Histone Modification Imaging Pr-EDICTS Stem Cell FateJanuary 27, 2017Will it rain? Will my team win? Will I get that grant? There are instances where a glance into a fortune-teller’s crystal ball could definitely give you the upper hand. Although the crystal ball is a myth, researchers from the lab of Prabhas V. Moghe (Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA) have recently developed a means […]
Mapping mRNA Methylation in the Mouse: From ESCs to the BrainJanuary 23, 2017As Ptolemy and other noteworthy cartographers will tell you, a detailed and up-to-date map is always useful. This navigational tool has guided many intrepid explorers from familiar regions towards the unknown with the promise of discovery and adventure! In the linear world of ribonucleic acid (RNA), intrepid researchers have mapped the locations of the N6-methyladenosine […]
RICC-seq Uses Gamma Rays to Smash out Nucleosome-Nucleosome InteractionsJanuary 17, 2017Gamma rays can give super powers to scientific insight, whether it be PET scans, the Epigenetic Hulk, or nucleosome-nucleosome interactions. While we’ve seen a lot about the primary structure of single nucleosomes and the tertiary structure of large chromatin loops, it seems that the 1–3 nucleosome (50–500 bp) architecture known as secondary structure has been […]
Anti-CRISPRs Provide A Kill Switch For Cas9January 6, 2017The post-holiday party period is always an excellent time to reflect that there can always be too much of a good thing. Whether it’s cookies, champagne, or Bing Crosby, sometimes you just need an off-switch. The same can be true of Cas9 – leaving it turned on after your gene editing is done, or leaky […]
HITI: Gene Knock-Ins for Old CellsDecember 29, 2016Just like kids during the holidays, young stem cells have all the fun with their fancy new CRISPR-themed gene editing gifts, while their older, wiser, more differentiated counterparts keep getting nothing but coal. (Well technically carbon nanotubes, but elementally the same). This neglect is partly the fault of more differentiated cells themselves; stodgy as they are, […]
Copy Number Variation and Environmental Exposure Unwrap the DNA Methylation Storage Box of AutismDecember 29, 2016Preparing for a big event takes a lot of work; whether it be the holidays or developing a brain’s epigenome, keeping a storage box ready to go for the situation just makes sense. In their latest publication, the lab of Janine LaSalle at the University of California – Davis unwrap the epigenetic storage box of […]