Epigenomics, also known as Epigenetic sequencing, utilizes next generation sequencing (NGS) assays to analyze the epigenome of many organisms rapidly and thoroughly.
The epigenome encompasses chemical modifications to DNA and histone proteins, chromatin accessibility, and higher-order DNA organization. Its profound effect on gene regulation, and consequently development and pathogenesis, is only beginning to be understood. Although epigenetic modifications do not alter the nucleic acid sequence itself, sequencing-based techniques can detect them indirectly.
As a leading provider of NGS, GENEWIZ Multiomics & Synthesis Solutions from Azenta Life Sciences offer a suite of powerful epigenomic sequencing solutions, including methylation sequencing and whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS).
Epigenomics is the study of reversible modifications in a cell’s DNA that regulate gene expression and mark the genome (turning the gene “on” or “off”) without altering the underlying DNA sequence itself. The field of epigenomics provides insight into complex cellular diseases and how cellular phenotypes are regulated by gene expression dynamics.
Epigenetic sequencing is the use of high-throughput sequencing technology to quantify and analyze DNA modifications that are involved in gene expression and regulation of cell differentiation and development.
To perform epigenetic sequencing, DNA methylation must be preserved and transformed into quantitative signals for genome-wide mapping. There are several methods of epigenetic sequencing; bisulfite sequencing (BS-Seq) and immunoprecipitation (methylated DNA immunoprecipitation or MeDIP) are commonly used in conjunction with NGS to identify epigenetically modified regions of the genome.