For decades, DNA has been considered the core material that determines the genetic information of life. However, new research in recent years has shown that genetic information of life is never entirely determined by genes. For example, scientists have found that modifications to gene groups can be changed without affecting DNA sequence. This change can not only affect individual development, but also be inherited. This field of studying epigenetic modifications at the genomic level is called epigenomics. Epigenomics has added a new perspective to people's understanding of the genome: for the genome, not only do sequences contain genetic information, but their modifications can also record genetic information.
Epigenetics refers to the heritable changes in gene expression, regulation, and traits (fundamentally due to differences in epigenetic modifications) without altering the nucleic acid (DNA) sequence, that is, changing the phenotype without altering the genotype. Epigenetics can be used to study the physiological and pathological changes of a certain tissue. Combined with single-cell sequencing technology, it can be used to study the pathogenesis, early diagnosis, and late control of tumor diseases.
Epigenomics sequencing is a technology based on a high-throughput sequencing platform that studies heritable changes in gene expression and regulation. According to the research content, epigenomics can be classified into two categories: chemical modification of DNA/RNA and interaction between DNA/RNA and proteins.
