Environmental Epigenetics and Molecular Analyses Facility Core

项目总结

PROJECT SUMMARY The overall objective of the Environmental Epigenetics and Molecular Analyses Facility Core (EEMAFC) is to provide Center members with access to, and education on using, state-of-the-art tools for assessing the effects of environment exposures on the epigenomes and genomes of cells, tissues and organs of humans and other species. It has become increasingly evident that the epigenome plays an enormous role in modulating the responses of organisms to myriad environmental exposures. Thus, new initiatives that have been implemented since the last renewal include the now routinely used RNA-Seq and ChIP-Seq for transcriptome and chromatin status discovery for investigating mechanisms underlying toxic and disease responses to environmental agents. In addition to the expanded epigenetics services, the Core also continues to provide basic molecular, microscopy and analytical services in support of ongoing epigenetics, genomics, gene expression, and signaling pathway research in the Center. These include basic molecular and analytical services, including new equipment for high throughput qPCR, for example, and new equipment for metals analysis in cells and tissues of exposed organisms, since metal effects on the epigenome, genome and cell functions are specialized research strengths of the NYU NIEHS Center. The rationale for the continuing evolution of this Core reflects current trends in environmental health research, in particular the rapidly changing field investigating environment interactions on epigenomes/genomes.