QuickBiology News

Modification to RNA species has been discovered for over 50 years. The internal modification m6A N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant type, plays diverse roles in a variety of physiological processes. To date, most global m6A detection relies on RNA immunoprecipitation by m6A-recognizing antibodies, such as MeRIP-seq, m6A-seq. These methods are time-consuming and costly (expensive antibody, a large amount of input RNA). Read More

DNA methylation and demethylation are tightly regulated, they shape chromatin accessibility and control gene expression during development. The Ten-Eleven Translocation (TET) genes play important role in DNA methylation and demethylation homeostasis. In recent Nature communications, researchers in Texas A&M University used Tet2, Tet3 mice deletion mouse model, analyzed DNA methylation dynamics and organization during early heart development.
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Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the deadliest and most common type of malignant primary brain tumor in adults. Symptoms of GBM include seizure, nausea, headache, as well as progressive neurological and psychological deficit. Patients with GBM have a dismal prognosis: the median survival time after diagnosis is approximately 15 months, and the 5-year survival rate is only 4%.Read More

Extracellular RNAs (exRNA) are the RNA species presented outside of the cells. It is a group of several types of RNAs having diverse functions. ExRNA is protected from RNase as it is carried within extracellular vesicles, lipoproteins or protein complexes, can be found in biological fluids such as blood, breast milk, or vaginal fluid.Read More

Single-cell RNA sequencing is one of the most popular sequencing methods in life science in these days. It has the potential to track the distinct cell lineages in development but is confounded by the absence of spatial (location) and temporal (developmental) resolution. Read More

Brain organization at the regional, cellular level is the key to understand our cognitive abilities, what is disrupted in brain diseases. Single-cell RNA- profiling (scRNA-seq) can classify different cell types. Elucidating brain cell types is critical of how the neuron cell communicates with each other. However, dissociating living cells for scRNA-seq from human is difficult. Read More

Methylation status of DNA and accessibility of chromatin structure are often correlated with gene expression in eukaryotic cells. Using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), researchers can profile DNA methylome, while Hi-C is a comprehensive technique to capture the conformation of genomes. Read More

Deconstruction of gene regulation is critical for cell development and human diseases. Cell type-specific gene expression in eukaryotic cells is regulated not only cis-acting DNA elements (such as promoter, mRNA splicing sites), chromatin structure (accessible for transcription factors’ binding) is another level controlling gene expression. Read More

Immunotherapy is a treatment that helps the body’s own immune system fight cancer. In our body, each cell presents peptides (antigens) on the surface, some of the antigens are unique in the tumor cell surface, we call them “neoantigens”. Read More

Liquid Biopsy is the sampling and analysis of biofluids, primarily blood. It is revolutionizing oncology, an innovative solution to cancer detection. Compared to traditional solid tissue biopsies, it has “easily obtained, minimal pain/risk” etc advantages.Read More