University of Cambridge > Talks.cam > CamBioScience's Two-day Intensive courses in Emerging Life Science Technologies > EMERGING EPIGENETICS: DETECTING & MODIFYING EPIGENETICS MARKS

EMERGING EPIGENETICS: DETECTING & MODIFYING EPIGENETICS MARKS

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If you have a question about this talk, please contact Dr. Chibeza C. Agley.

Two-day intensive course 12th & 13th March 2018

The sequence of DNA within every cell of a multicellular organism is essentially equivalent and invariable. However, multicellular organisms are made of hundreds of cell types, each with unique cellular programs, morphologies and functions. This incredible variety results from the regulation of the epigenome, which consists of the chromatin and its chemical modifications. The epigenome is dynamic and acts as an interface between environmental signals and the genetic code.

Alterations in epigenetic programming affect gene function in the absence of an underlying change in the DNA sequence via a number of mechanisms which include:

Histone post-translational modifications: methylation, phosphorylation, acetylation, sumoylation, and ubiquitination. DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation. Small noncoding RNAs, termed microRNAs or ncRNAs which can silence chromatin, degrade mRNA, or block translation Technological advances, such as chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next-generation sequencing (ChIP–Seq), and variations on this, have enabled the analysis of the epigenome at base-pair resolution and allowed ‘epigenomic profiling’ in both normal and abnormal cells and tissues. Epigenomic profiling has already proved invaluable by helping to better define critical DNA control elements, such as gene enhancers and promoters.

Numerous human diseases are characterised by a departure from the normal pattern of gene expression and errors in epigenetic processes underpin many of these. However, the reversible nature of most of the known epigenetic modifications of chromatin offer promising therapeutic opportunities for the controlled regulation of disease-related genes via the manipulation of epigenetic mechanisms. With the development of a new suite tools including CRISPR mediated ‘epigenome-editing’, epigenetics will continue to be one of the most innovative research areas in the life sciences and medicine.

On this two-day intensive course you will:

  • Understand the constituent components and mechanisms of the epigenome
  • Get to grips with the very latest tools and technology for reading and decoding the epigenome.
  • Learn how to overcoming common pitfalls for wet-lab based epigenetics methods.
  • Gain an appreciation of bioinformatics approaches for analysing epigenetic datasets.
  • Be introduced to CRISPR mediated epigenome editing and its potential applications.
  • Extend your network of expert contacts from all over the world. *Receive a Certificate of Completion.

Visit our VIDEO ROOM for impressions of our past courses.

This talk is part of the CamBioScience's Two-day Intensive courses in Emerging Life Science Technologies series.

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