Decoding the Combinatorial Epigenetic Information of the Mammalian Genome with Engineered DNA Duplex Readers

Introduction

In mammalian genomes, epigenetic modifications of the nucleobase cytosine occur in both strands of the DNA duplex in the sequence “CpG”, and they are central regulators of gene expression as well as important cancer biomarkers.

Current Challenges

However, current analytical techniques cannot reveal the combination in which these modifications occur in the two strands of a DNA duplex. The resulting inability to create genomic maps of these “CpG duplex modifications” represents a major roadblock for future developments in epigenetics research and cancer diagnosis.

Project Overview

We have engineered the first affinity enrichment probes for selectively analyzing novel CpG duplex modifications, and integrated them into user-friendly and cost-effective kits for genomic mapping.

Goals

In this project, we will develop and commercialize two kits for mapping the most important novel CpG duplex modifications consisting of:

1. 5-methylcytosine
2. 5-hydroxymethylcytosine

These kits will target the epigenetics research and liquid biopsy markets.

Impact

This will provide decisive new impulses for epigenetics research as well as for cancer biomarker discovery and liquid biopsy, both large and rapidly growing markets.