Stem Cell Reprogramming – Leaner, Quicker, Cheaper, BetterJune 20, 2015“More for less” is a phrase that generally gets most people excited, and scientists trying to make induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are no exception. The reprogramming of somatic cells to generate iPSCs aims to bring patient-specific cell replacement therapies to the masses, but the process currently suffers from obstacles common to new technologies – […]
Nukes Aid Stem Cell Research in the HeartJune 20, 2015Researchers from the laboratory of Jonas Frisén at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have recently put radioactive carbon from nuclear bomb tests to good use, testing whether the adult human heart has the ability to repair itself. So how does that work? Well, a sharp rise in atmospheric radioactive carbon in the 1950-60s due to […]
Webinar: Advanced ChIP Normalization ControlsJune 17, 2015Abstract: Gene expression is regulated by a combination of transcription factor binding and the distribution of epigenetic modifications across regulatory regions. Much of what we know about the epigenome and gene regulation stems from our ability to determine the genome-wide distribution of histone modifications and transcription factors using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next generation sequencing […]
Webinar: Locus-Specific Biochemical Analysis of Genome Functions Using enChIP with CRISPRJune 17, 2015Abstract Elucidation of molecular mechanisms of genome functions such as transcription and epigenetic regulation requires identification of components mediating the genome functions. To this end, we recently developed the locus-specific chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) (locus-specific ChIP) technologies to identify molecules interacting with a given genomic region of interest in vivo. Locus-specific ChIP consists of insertional ChIP […]
KeyGenes Helps Predict Differentiated Humans iPSCsJune 15, 2015Cells differentiated from embryonic stem cells are generally phenotypically immature, so identifying what cell type they are can be a bit like trying to figure out what exactly the picture your child drew for you in kindergarten is supposed to be. “That’s lovely darling but…” Luckily, for biologists at least, a team of Dutch researchers […]
CpH Methylation Gets A Tissue Specific MakeoverJune 15, 2015In the latest show of the power of teamwork we see some of the biggest names in epigenetics join forces to unravel the mysteries of the methylome across different tissues, including the molecular cartographers who tackled the brain and the researchers who brought forth the predictive powers of Epigram. The talented team from the Salk Institute and UCSD have […]
A TAD of Disruption Shows the Importance of BoundariesJune 1, 2015If you’ve ever seen a polydactyl cat you might (understandably) live in fear of cats with thumbs. If we want to prevent the takeover by our feline friends we need to understand the cause of this limb anomaly. Luckily, researchers led by Stefan Mundlos have done just that by asking if 3D chromosome structure data […]
DNAi Combines Self-Destructing DNA with CRISPRMay 29, 2015Have you ever watched a spy move and felt yourself craving spy gadgets, such as explosive chewing gum, or a tricked out Aston Martin? Well if you are a genome-engineering scientist you can now get your very own spy gadget – self-destructing DNA! But this cool creation isn’t just to fulfill your 007 dreams, it […]
miRNA-Switches Makes Stem Cell Selection Pure and SimpleMay 28, 2015As any sports coach, hopeful lottery winner, or child in a candy store will tell you, an effective selection strategy is vitally important to a successful outcome. Selection is also an important concept for scientists and clinicians hoping to take advantage of the ability that human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have to differentiate into multiple […]
MINimize Your Genome Engineering Efforts with CRISPR and Bxb1May 28, 2015CRISPR is for genome engineering what Mike Tyson was for boxing: simple, efficient and almost a guarantee to see a knockout in the first round. While in boxing a knockout typically results in an involuntary power nap of the opponent, the phenotype of a gene knockout is often not so clear-cut. Besides potential problems caused […]