Twin Study Reveals Epigenetic Factors for Type 2 Diabetes

December 21, 2021 Natalie Crowley

Epigenetic scientists have been keen on studying twins, particularly identical twins, as they are the perfect subjects to gain insight into the effects of the environment on the genome, especially when it comes to diseases. Because identical twins share the same DNA, any differences they have that are environmentally induced most likely show up in their epigenome. In a case where one identical twin has a disease, but the other does not, researchers can look at the twins’ environments for [more…]

Using CRISPR/Cas9 to Epigenetically Activate or Deactivate Genes

December 7, 2021 Natalie Crowley

Since the discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 system, targeting DNA more precisely for genetic editing has become a lot easier. However, removing part of the genetic code may not be necessary in all cases, especially if there were a way to switch off a gene of interest instead. Thankfully, scientists have found that CRISPR/Cas9 can also be used to do just this – deactivate genes without altering the underlying DNA sequence. When we refer to a cell’s DNA, we’re actually talking [more…]

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