Decoding DNA's annotations
Friday, January 20, 2012 - 09:01
in Biology & Nature
In the currently hot research area known as epigenetics, researchers are discovering that offspring inherit much more from their parents than just their genes. Individuals also inherit detailed instructions on how to use the genetic sequence coded in their DNA via small chemical, or epigenetic, markers that decorate DNA strands. The markers can activate some genes and switch off others. Epigeneticists are racing to decode the roles of different markers; but, first, they must develop the ability to read them. A new chemical probe, developed by a research team led by Akimitsu Okamoto at the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute, Wako, Japan, is showing promise as an analytical tool to assist this quest.