Chemical Creation of Epigenetic Marks: One Step Closer to Synthetic LifeDecember 2, 2013What if Craig Ventor got a hold of the epigenome during his quest to create synthetic life? Is humanity be ready for an artificial life-form potentially as complex as its creators? Will Duck Dynasty and Honey Boo Boo be picked up for another season? These are all very important questions. And a few of our […]
Transgenerational Epigenetics is Bringing Sexy BackNovember 26, 2013For mice, domestication is a ten generation process, and while we’re left wondering at what stage Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is caught up in, we’ll try to steer clear of any low brow jokes. During the process of domestication many adaptations occur, but not all are beneficial. In fact, as a thought provoking group from […]
Genome Synthesis vs. DNA Methylation: A Battle for One-Carbon with Dr. Patrick StoverNovember 19, 2013Dr. Patrick Stover discusses the competition between genome synthesis and DNA methylation for the use of available folate and one-carbons. The Balancing Act of Folate Metabolism So one of the primary focus of our laboratory is trying to link how changes in metabolism affect specific disease outcomes. And we’re most interested in neural tube defects […]
Is DNA Methylation Key to Antipsychotic Treatments?November 18, 2013Evidence continues to stack up about the environmentally responsive ways of our epigenome, but most of the time when we hear about it, it’s usually about some bad news. However, Dr. Shiva Singh and his colleagues at Western University (Canada) have come across an interesting case where epigenetics mechanisms appear to cause the therapeutic effects of […]
Epigenetic Editing Targets DNA Demethylation, Induces Gene ExpressionNovember 16, 2013TET family proteins grabbed a bit of fame back in 2009 for their role in the demethylation pathway that generates one of our favorite base modifcations 5hmC. Since then, researchers have sought out ways to harness TET’s tremendous potential as a mechanism for active regulation of DNA methylation…if only Miley had followed in its’ footsteps. […]
