5′ UTR miRNA TargetingJuly 21, 2014The nightly news lately makes it seem like the world has gone upside down, and now we’ve got some science to back it. Honglei Zhou and Isidore Rigoutsos from Thomas Jefferson University recently revealed that mammalian miRNA targeting doesn’t always limit itself to 3′ miRNA action. It now seems that in addition to the traditional 3’UTR […]
Reaction Biology Scores NIH Grant for Epigenetic Drug DatabaseJuly 11, 2014Epigenetic databases are one of of our favorite futuristic tools and now a time traveling crew from Reaction Biology Corporation (RBC) land a grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) to create an impressive database of epigenetic drug interactions. The team at RBC is undertaking a colossal effort examining a library of 1,400 compounds, including almost every FDA approved drug. […]
An Introduction to Epigenetic Editing with Dr. Marianne RotsJune 23, 2014Dr. Marianne Rots, Professor of Molecular Epigenetics and Head of Epigenetic Editing Laboratory at University of Groningen, Netherlands provides an informative overview of the current state of epigenetic editing approaches. Intro to Epigenetic Editing Epigenetic editing exploits the two main characteristics of epigenetics. On the one hand, epigenetic marks are heritable. This means the epigenetic […]
Webinar: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Getting Reliable ChIP Data From Difficult SamplesJune 19, 2014Johanna Samuelsson Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist at Active Motif covers some techniques to get killer data, even when your samples don’t make it easy. ChIP Overview I’m going to talk about chromatin immunoprecipitation, not necessarily focusing on all the specific details, but more the challenges with the technique, and those tricky samples that many of […]
lncRNAs Give a Shout Out to Imprinted GenesMay 22, 2014For a while there, it didn’t seem like long non-coding RNAS (lncRNAs) had very much to say on the subject of genomic imprinting. But some new evidence shows that lncRNAs have found their voice, shouting loud and clear as a cross-talk conduit between imprinted regions. Researchers from Hebrew University (Jerusalem) introduced a new concept into […]
Non-coding RNAs Reveal How Stress Can Be InheritedMay 7, 2014Stress hits every one of us, like when the Heartbleed virus makes you have to go back and reset all of your online passwords. Recent evidence has already linked the DNA methylation and histone alterations left behind by stressful events to transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, but now, scientists from the Brain Research Institute in Switzerland have observed […]
DNA Cubes May Take Genome Editing Outside the BoxApril 22, 2014Through the use of some creative chemistry researchers have devised DNA cubes that can deliver molecular packages with precision that would make FedEx jealous. A geometrically genius team from McGill University crafted a piece of DNA origami that will only release it’s molecular payload when triggered by a specific mRNA. Here’s how they did it: Cubes were […]
Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance TimelineMarch 17, 2014Molecular inheritance is what genetics is all about, so here we highlight some examples where the epigenome plays a key role in inheritance.
EpiGenie Book Reviews: Epigenetics by L. ArmstrongMarch 14, 2014After working on some of the UK’s first embryonic stem cells and developing the world’s first cloned human embryos, Lyle Armstrong turned his attention to the creation of a useful text that would benefit the epigenetic novice as well as the seasoned investigator. With a number of groovy figures and illustrations, they key concepts of […]
Webinar: Genetic Analysis of the Physiological Roles for lncRNAs in DevelopmentMarch 8, 2014Loyal A. Goff, Ph.D presents his research on: Genetic Analysis of the Physiological Roles for lncRNAs in Development Abstract: Many studies are uncovering functional roles for long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), yet few have been tested for in vivo relevance through genetic ablation in animal models. To investigate the functional relevance of lncRNAs in various physiological […]