PAR-CLIP Yields Insights into the Function of snoRNA ProgenyMay 30, 2013Although some reports have suggested that smaller RNAs derived from snoRNAs can have alternative, even miRNA-like functions, a Swiss research team now says that’s pretty darn rare. Did we mention the research team resides in the land of neutrality? So we naturally trust the data. Of course, snoRNAs (small nucleolar RNAs) guide modifications onto other […]
Non-Coding RNAs Step Out of LINE in CancerMay 29, 2013LINE-1 retrotransposons are a plentiful and cunning repetitive element of viral origin, which are typically kept silent via our hardworking epigenetic mechanism: DNA methylation. However, just like every good molecular pirate, cancer likes to use what it hijacks. Dr. Cristina Tufarelli’s group (University of Nottingham, UK) have previously shown that aberrant activation of LINE-1 promoters […]
Life Long Changes in DNA Methylation & ncRNAs in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)May 22, 2013Spring is in the air and with all the great weather who could say no to a nice refreshing beer or upside down margarita shot? Well, if you’re an expecting mother you may just want to hold off. Recent research from Dr. Shiva Singh’s laboratory at Western University (Oh Canada!) has shown that not only […]
Of Mice and Men: Human DNA Methylation Arrays for BothMay 9, 2013Usually when you hear about translational research it involves taking findings from mice and applying them to humans. But Dr. Richard Saffery’s group from the University of Melbourne, apparently inspired by their upside-down geography, decided to celebrate opposite day. They realized that while the mouse is an excellent model for epigenetic research, there is no […]
Bullying and Epigenetics: Stick, Stones, and EpigenomesMay 6, 2013Stress. We all know it’s not good for you. About a decade ago, Dr. Michael Meaney’s and Dr. Moshe Szyf’s research group from McGill University made some pioneering breakthroughs in the field while examining the effects of early life stress on the epigenome of rats. Since then the field has been booming, however most studies […]
The Future of lncRNAs with Dr. John RinnMay 2, 2013Dr. John L. Rinn from Harvard University and the Broad Institute (Harvard and MIT) is a prominent researcher in long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and agreed to sit down and discuss his perspective on the intersection of lncRNA and epigenetics. EpiGenie: You’ve mentioned that you feel knockout models are going to play a key role in the […]
Dissolving the Layers in Genetics and Epigenetics with Dr. Adrian BirdMay 1, 2013Dr. Adrian Bird discusses the dissolving barrier between genetics and epigenetics and why he’s cautious about linking epigenetics in heredity. Dissolving the Layers in Genetics and Epigenetics I think what’s most exciting about the field at the moment is that a field called epigenetics is no longer really outside of biology trying to get […]
microRNAs Up Their Game: They Regulate Other microRNAs in the HeartApril 30, 2013Just when you think you’ve got a handle on microRNAs, they go and up their game—regulating other microRNAs to produce large effects. To be accurate, they’ve been doing this all along, but now a talented research crew at Wash U School of Medicine of medicine is on to their game and has shared their findings […]
Dynamic RNA Methylation Emerges as New Player in the Epigenetic LandscapeApril 29, 2013Methylation is a hot topic in the field of epigenetics whether it’s occurring on the cytosines of DNA or its histone protein friends. With a relatively well-known set of enzymes, methylation marks are dynamically modified in order to regulate gene expression. However, the revisiting of a RNA modification discovered in the 70’s has come to […]
SCANning Single Molecules to Pinpoint Co-Occurrence of Epigenetic MarksApril 24, 2013Just because two people live on the same street doesn’t necessarily mean they live that close to each other or in the same house, yet that’s what you often have to assume when using ChIP to detect epigenetic modifications. Either that, or you have to use tons of sample and/or a labor-intensive method to figure […]