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New England Biolabs NEBNext Enzymatic Methyl-seq

New England Biolabs has launched NEBNext Enzymatic Methyl-seq (EM-seq), an enzyme-based method for methylation sequencing that is an alternative to bisulfite sequencing. The EM-seq kit involves a two-step enzymatic conversion that first protects 5-methyl cytosine and 5-hydroxymethyl cytosine from deamination using TET2 and an oxidation enhancer, and then deaminates unmethylated cytosines, converting them to uracil. Because the process does not rely on chemical treatment, as with bisulfite conversion, the DNA is not damaged, according to the company. The kit includes the required reagents for EM-seq conversion and library preparation for sequencing on Illumina instruments.

The Scan

Nucleotide Base Detected on Near-Earth Asteroid

Among other intriguing compounds, researchers find the nucleotide uracil, a component of RNA sequences, in samples collected from the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu, as they report in Nature Communications.

Clinical Trial Participants, Investigators Point to Importance of Clinical Trial Results Reporting in Canadian Study

Public reporting on clinical trial results is crucial, according to qualitative interviews with clinical trial participants, investigators, and organizers from three provinces appearing in BMJ Open.

Old Order Amish Analysis Highlights Autozygosity, Potential Ties to Blood Measures

Researchers in BMC Genomics see larger and more frequent runs-of-homozygosity in Old Order Amish participants, though only regional autozygosity coincided with two blood-based measures.

Suicidal Ideation-Linked Loci Identified Using Million Veteran Program Data

Researchers in PLOS Genetics identify risk variants within and across ancestry groups with a genome-wide association study involving veterans with or without a history of suicidal ideation.