The sequencing of the human genome laid the foundation for the study of genetic variation and its links to a wide range of diseases. But the genome itself is only part of the story, as genes can be switched on and off by a range of chemical modifications, known as “epigenetic marks.”
Now, a decade after the human genome was sequenced, the National Institutes of Health’s Roadmap Epigenomics Consortium has created a similar map of the human epigenome.
CSAIL researcher Manolis Kellis led the effort to integrate and analyze the datasets produced by the project, which constitute the most comprehensive view of the human epigenome to date.
Learn more in two MIT News recent stories about Kellis' work on epigenomic mapping MIT News profile and his team's study on the immune basis for Alzheimer's disease.
For more on how epigenomics works, check out Nature's new video on the topic: