SINGLE-CELL EPIGENOMICS: RESOLVING REGULATORY DIVERSITY

“π•Šπ•šπ•Ÿπ•˜π•π•–-𝕔𝕖𝕝𝕝 π•–π•‘π•šπ•˜π•–π•Ÿπ• π•žπ•šπ•” π•₯π•–π•”π•™π•Ÿπ• π•π• π•˜π•šπ•–π•€ 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕒𝕝 π•£π•–π•˜π•¦π•π•’π•₯𝕠𝕣π•ͺ π•‘π•£π• π•˜π•£π•’π•žπ•€ π•₯𝕙𝕒π•₯ 𝕒𝕣𝕖 π•šπ•Ÿπ•§π•šπ•€π•šπ•“π•π•– π•šπ•Ÿ π•“π•¦π•π•œ π•žπ•–π•’π•€π•¦π•£π•–π•žπ•–π•Ÿπ•₯𝕀, π•¦π•Ÿπ•”π• π•§π•–π•£π•šπ•Ÿπ•˜ 𝕙𝕠𝕨 π•šπ•Ÿπ••π•šπ•§π•šπ••π•¦π•’π• 𝕔𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕀 π•šπ•Ÿπ•₯𝕖𝕣𝕑𝕣𝕖π•₯ π•₯𝕙𝕖 π•€π•’π•žπ•– π•˜π•–π•Ÿπ• π•žπ•– π••π•šπ•—π•—π•–π•£π•–π•Ÿπ•₯𝕝π•ͺ.” - Howard Y. Chang

🧬 Single-cell epigenomics is now a fundament of modern genomics, enabling high-resolution dissection of gene regulatory mechanisms that define cellular identity, function, and fate. By moving beyond bulk averages, it exposes regulatory heterogeneity critical to development, immunity, and disease.

πŸ”Ή Epigenomics studies DNA methylation and histone modifications that regulate gene expression without altering DNA sequence. These dynamic marks integrate developmental and environmental cues. Bulk assays mask rare or transient states; especially problematic in heterogeneous tissues such as brain, immune system, and tumors.

πŸ”Ή Single-cell technologies (scATAC-seq, single-cell DNA methylation, and multi-omic assays) now profile chromatin accessibility and epigenetic states at cellular resolution. Combined with advanced computational models, they enable identification of cell subpopulations, lineage inference, and reconstruction of regulatory trajectories.

πŸ”Ή Biological insights:
• Development: epigenetic remodeling in stem cell differentiation
• Cancer: epigenetic plasticity, drug resistance, metastasis, immune evasion
• Disease: cell-specific regulatory programs driving pathology

➡️ Clinical & translational impact:
• Autoimmune & inflammatory diseases: dysregulated immune subsets
• Neurodevelopmental disorders: neural differentiation and synaptic programs
• Precision oncology: epigenetic biomarkers and rational combination therapies.

➡️ Challenges & priorities:
• Sparse data, batch effects, standardization
• Capturing temporal dynamics
• Integrating epigenome-transcriptome-proteome
• Improving scalability and clinical accessibility.

⚠️ In an Oystershell, single-cell epigenomics is transforming biology and medicine by resolving regulatory diversity at cellular resolution, advancing precision and context-aware therapeutics.

Abubakar Abubakar ✍🏻

• Buenrostro JD et al. Nat Methods (2015)

• Clark SJ et al. Nat Rev Genet (2016)

• Lareau CA et al. Nat Biotechnol (2019)

• Corces MR et al. Science (2018)

• Stuart T & Satija R. Nat Rev Genet (2019)

#SingleCellEpigenomics #Epigenomics #SingleCellSequencing #GeneRegulation
#CellularHeterogeneity #MultiOmics #PrecisionMedicine #CancerEpigenetics
#DevelopmentalBiology #Immunology #Neurogenomics #SystemsBiology
#Genomics #IVF #PGT #ART #NGS #CRISPR⚕️

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