Single-cell Epitranscriptomic Mapping of m6A from Small Samples with picoMeRIP-seqJuly 2, 2023Most successful epitranscriptomics studies rely on large amounts of input sample; however, huge findings may also reside in the smallest of specimens, such as zygotes or embryos. Now, a study provides exciting in vivo insight into these microcosms by describing the development of an epitranscriptomic mapping technique for single-cells and rare cell types. While traditional […]
BIND&MODIFY and NOMe-HiC Go the Distance with Single-Molecule, Long-Range Epigenetic MapsMay 4, 2023Staying in your own neighborhood can be nice, but sometimes you need to go on a trip and see different scenery. Chromatin is a lot like that—things can look very different along a DNA strand that bends and folds. That’s why two separate teams have come up with multi-omics methods that go the whole distance […]
Online Learning: Rinnformatics – Genome Informatics Classes for EveryoneApril 14, 2023If you’ve ever wanted to develop informatics skills to analyze sequencing data, but weren’t sure where to start, then we have the place for you! We found this fantastic resource built by Dr. John Rinn and his lab at the University of Colorado – Boulder. It’s a free, online series of courses that give you […]
Building Layers of Epigenome and Transcriptome Spatial Information in Single CellsMarch 27, 2023Layers make things a lot more interesting—a cake with chocolate, vanilla and strawberry layers is much more decadent than a single-tier vanilla one. And now the labs of Rong Fan (Yale University), Gonçalo Castelo-Branco (Karolinska Institute), and Yanxlang Deng (now at University of Pennsylvania) have put the icing on the cake with a new paper […]
SiTomics Captures Site-Specific Dynamic Histone Modifications, Proteome and Genome Changes In the WildMarch 22, 2023Don’t you wish you could just look into the nucleus of a cell and watch what’s happening? With SiTomics, Peng Chen’s lab (Peking University) gets close—they can see what modifications are being placed on a particular histone, what proteins bind to it, and where that histone is on the DNA, all in living cells. To do […]
Going Green! – How Histone Recycling Promotes the Preservation of Pristine Epigenetic LandscapesMarch 6, 2023The climate crisis and our need to produce less waste have made recycling an everyday concept; however, whether histone proteins “go green” during DNA replication has remained somewhat in doubt. The epigenetic environment becomes disrupted during DNA replication and must be restored to maintain genome regulation and cell identity; now, two high-efficiency epigenetic studies provide […]
One-Stop Sequencing: Simultaneous Genetic and Epigenetic InformationMarch 2, 2023Some shoppers like to browse several stores, whereas others follow the Amazon approach and want to just visit one place to buy everything on their list. The lab of Shankar Balasubramanian’s (University of Cambridge) must be in that second group because they developed a sequencing method that is a true one-stop extravaganza. It rings up […]
DNA Methylation Editing Provides Evidence for Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance in MammalsFebruary 26, 2023While we have become familiar with the link between DNA methylation and disease, an exciting epigenetic editing study now reports how DNA methylation contributes to transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in mammals and influences disease-associated traits across generations! In their previous study, a talented team led by Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte at the Salk Institute for Biological […]
Multiplexed Epigenome Editing Rouses a “Sleeping Dog” to Treat a Neurodevelopmental DisorderFebruary 20, 2023“Let sleeping dogs lie” is sound advice for those who want to stay out of trouble! However, an eye-opening epigenome editing study now suggests that rousing the “sleeping” methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2) gene from the inactive X chromosome may represent a therapeutic opportunity for girls with Rett Syndrome – an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder that […]
mRNA Shows Its Age and Quiets Down the Immune System with Cap2 MethylationFebruary 14, 2023Wrinkles, gray hair, … Cap2 methylation on mRNA? It turns out that these are all signs of aging. Two elegant new methods to show that Cap1 gets slowly modified to Cap2 as mRNAs age. And just like boomers, they want to live the quiet life, calming down the innate immune system to prevent autoimmunity. Although […]