Without advanced technology, epigenetic research would flounder. (You’d also probably be reading this on a stone tablet, which are really tricky to post on the web.) Check out our favorite improvements in technologies and methods from 2011 that are making sure epigenetic research is staying on the cutting edge.
Single Cell Methylation Profiling
The Restriction enzyme-based Single-cell Methylation Assay (RMSA) let’s you peek inside the lives of single cells, and gives a more accurate snapshot of DNA methylation in your sample.
January 30, 2011 Single Cell Methylation Analysis: Brought to You by RMSA
Trisomy 21 Screen
Researchers know there are differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between the mom and baby’s DNA and figured out how to put those DMRs to good use in a prenatal screening cocktail for Down syndrome.
ChIP DNA Amplification
LinDA (aka, “linear DNA amplification”), can amplify picograms of ChIP-seq DNA (from ~5,000-10,000 cells) for genome-wide profiling of transcription factors and chromatin.
June 10, 2011 Meet LinDA: Single tube ChIP DNA Amplification
Researchers developed a high-throughput microfluidic device for analyzing mRNA and miRNA expression in single cells that’s a one-stop shop for all steps of single-cell processing: cell capture, lysis, reverse transcription, and quantitative PCR.
August 12, 2011 Microfluidic qRT-PCR Unlocks Single Cell miRNA Secrets
We got together with Lisa Chadwick at NIH, who helped us put together a list of online tools available for browsing epigenomes, in order to make selecting the right one an easier job.
August 31, 2011 NCBI NIH Tools for Surfing the Epigenome
Biocomputers Target Cancer Cells
New “biocomputers” can figure out if a cell is cancerous and destroy it by triggering apoptosis —all by detecting miRNA levels, potentially leading to much more targeted cancer therapies than what’s available now.
September 7, 2011 Biocomputers Use miRNA Profiles to ID and Kill Cancer Cells
Epigenomic Data Analysis
How much would you pay to be able to analyze epigenomic data sets for multiple modifications, from various sources and different experiment types simultaneously? Before you answer, check out this new software tool, Podbat (Positioning database and analysis tool) that lets you do all of that and more…for free!
September 14, 2011 Podbat Let’s You Fly Through Epigenomic Analysis
Advances in Bisulfite Sequencing
With the new liquid hybridization capture-based bisulfite sequencing (LHC-BS) method, you just grab exons and analyze them for methylation. The method is quicker and less expensive than whole-genome methods and much more practical for a clinical lab to use.