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Originally published by Kyoto University, on February 28,2024   'epidecodeR' is a tool that can streamline the analysis of complex epigenome and epitranscriptome data, allowing for the rapid and accurate prediction of the effects of epimarks on gene expression. Credit: Mindy Takamiya/Kyoto University iCeMS Scientists have extensively researched the structure and sequence of genetic material and its interactions with proteins in the hope of understanding h ow our genetics and environment interact with diseases . This research has partly focused on ' epigenetic marks ,' which are chemical modifications to DNA, RNA , and the associated proteins (known as histones ). Epigenetic marks influence when and how genes get switched on or off . They can also instruct cells about how to interpret and use genetic information , influencing various cellular processes. Changes in epigenetic marks, therefore, significantly impact gene regulation and cellular functions, which mea

Originally published by Michaela Kane, Duke University, on December 5, 2023   Credit: Nature Chemical Biology (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01481-5 A team of engineers at Duke University have developed a method to broaden the reach of CRISPR technologies . While the original CRISPR system could only target 12.5% of the human genome, the new method expands access to nearly every gene to potentially target and treat a broader range of diseases through genome engineering. The research involved collaborators at Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, University of Zurich and McMaster University. This work was published on October 4 in the journal Nature Communications . CRISPR-Cas is a bacterial immune system that allows bacteria to use RNA molecules and CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins to target and destroy the DNA of invading viruses. Since its discovery, researchers have raced to develop an arsenal of new

Originally published by NIH/National Human Genome Research Institute on June 30, 2023 Hydractinia's regeneration driving stem cells are stored in the lower trunk of the animal's body, far from the mouth. Credit: Darryl Leja, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) Insights into healing and aging were discovered by National Institutes of Health researchers and their collaborators, who studied how a tiny sea creature regenerates an entire new body from only its mouth . The researchers sequenced RNA from Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus , a small, tube-shaped animal that lives on the s hells of hermit crabs . Just as the Hydractinia were beginning to regenerate new bodies, the researchers detected a molecular signature associated with the biological process of aging, also known as senescence . According to the study published in Cell Reports , Hydractinia demonstrates that the fundamental biological processes of healing and aging are intertwined , providing