VIDEO: The human loop-ome? Scientists map it and unravel secrets of genetic regulation

12/14/2014 - 00:00

The ancient Japanese art of origami is based on the idea that nearly any design - a crane, an insect, a samurai warrior - can be made by taking the same blank sheet of paper and folding it in different ways.

The human body faces a similar problem. The genome inside every cell of the body is identical, but the body needs each cell to be different –an immune cell fights off infection; a cone cell helps the eye detect light; the heart’s myocytes must beat endlessly.

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Ref:  Rao, SSP et al. A 3D Map of the Human Genome at Kilobase Resolution Reveals Principles of Chromatin Looping. Cell. Online First: December 11, 2014. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2014.11.021