Berkeley Lab-Led Research Team Unveils Powerful New Tool for
Studying DNA Elements that Regulate Genes
An international team led by researchers with the Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has developed a new technique for
identifying gene enhancers – sequences of DNA that act to amplify the
expression of a specific gene – in the genomes of humans and other mammals.
Called SIF-seq, for site-specific integration fluorescence-activated cell
sorting followed by sequencing, this new technique complements existing genomic
tools, such as ChIP-seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing),
and offers some additional benefits.