Abstract

In the last decade biological research has undergone a revolution brought about by high throughput sequencing technology. Epigenetic research aims to understand the dynamic regulation of gene expression: how cell fate decisions are made and maintained throughout life, and how abberant regulation contributes to disease. Historically, mechanisms have been investigated at an individual gene level. Through epigenomics, we can now study epigenetic events across millions of genes simultaneously enabling us to establish global patterns and interdependencies.

In this Masterclass, we will present an overview of what is epigenomics and the emerging new technologies used to study it. We will introduce the different aspects of epigenetics from DNA methylation, histone modification to nuclear organisation, and explore the different tools used to probe these layers of information at a global scale. Excitingly, these tools are also being adapted to use on single cells allowing unprecedented insights into cell-to- cell variability and heterogeneity. We will discuss these techniques in the context of stem cell and developmental biology, where the epigenome is dynamic and critical for shaping cell identity.