Call for papers - DNA methylation, from bacteria to humans

Guest Editors

Marcos De Donato, PhD, The Center for Aquaculture Technologies, USA
Xiaojian Shao, PhD, National Research Council Canada, Canada

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 22 January 2025

BMC Genomics is calling for submissions to the Collection on DNA methylation, from bacteria to humans. This Collection aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current research landscape in DNA methylation, highlighting its diverse roles across different organisms and biological processes. DNA methylation plays an important role in regulating gene expression, genomic stability, and cellular differentiation. Topics of interest include, among others, its role in diseases and aging, mechanisms of DNA methylation, consequences of DNA methylation changes, transcriptional control, technological advancements in the field, CpG island methylation patterns, and the impact of environmental cues on DNA methylation patterns.

New Content Item This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being.

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Meet the Guest Editors

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Marcos De Donato, PhD, The Center for Aquaculture Technologies, USA

Marcos De Donato earned his BSc in Biology from the Universidad de Oriente, Venezuela, and his PhD in Genetics from Texas A&M University, USA. He was Professor at the Universidad de Oriente, Venezuela, from 1992-2010, and visiting research professor at Cornell University, USA, from 2010-2012. From 2013-2014 he was Geneticist for Pig Improvement Company, in charge of Latin American clients. He was Professor at Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico from 2015-2022. From 2000-2022 Dr De Donato worked as Genetic Advisor for shrimp breeding programs at centers in Venezuela, Panama, Nicaragua, Mexico and Indonesia. Since 2022 he works at The Center for Aquaculture Technologies as a Breeding Scientist. He has published more than 100 articles with more than 3,000 citations and has presented more than 200 abstracts at scientific events in different countries. His main research is microbial and animal genetics and genomics, with a focus on biotechnological applications in health, animal production and aquaculture.

Xiaojian Shao, PhD, National Research Council Canada, Canada

Xiaojian Shao is a research officer at Digital Technologies Research Center, National Research Council of Canada. He earned his PhD in Operation Research & Bioinformatics at the China Agriculture University and did his postdoc training at the McGill University and Génome Québec Innovation Centre. He was a research assistant professor at the Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. His research interests focus on bioinformatics, computational epigenomics, deep learning and the application of AI technologies for gene and cell therapy. Currently, Dr Shao serves as Editorial Board Member for BMC Genomics & Frontiers in Genetics.

About the Collection

BMC Genomics is calling for submissions to a Collection on DNA methylation, ranging from unicellular prokaryotic bacterial cells to the complexity of pluricellular eukaryotic organisms such as human beings.

DNA methylation, an essential epigenetic modification, plays an important role in regulating gene expression, ensuring genomic stability, and orchestrating cellular differentiation. From its discovery in bacteria to its intricate mechanisms in mammalian development and disease, DNA methylation continues to intrigue researchers worldwide. This Collection seeks to showcase the latest advancements, methodologies, and discoveries in DNA methylation, with a particular emphasis on comparative approaches across species. By showcasing research spanning different organisms and biological contexts, this Collection aims to offer insights into the functional significance of DNA methylation and its potential therapeutic implications.

Research into DNA methylation has already yielded significant insights, shedding light on mechanisms underlying complex diseases such as cancer, neurodevelopmental disorders, and metabolic syndromes. Furthermore, understanding DNA methylation dynamics has enabled the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Moving forward, further advancements in DNA methylation research hold promise for uncovering additional layers of epigenetic regulation, deciphering intricate gene regulatory networks, and facilitating the translation of epigenetic knowledge into personalized medicine and precision therapeutics, ultimately enhancing human health and well-being.

Contributions may include, but are not limited to:

Mechanisms of DNA methylation establishment and maintenance
Functional consequences of DNA methylation changes
Role of DNA methylation in development, disease, and aging
Comparative analysis of DNA methylation across species
Transcriptional control by DNA methylation
Technological advancements in DNA methylation profiling and analysis
Epigenetic therapies targeting DNA methylation abnormalities
CpG island methylation patterns across species
Genome-wide profiling of DNA methylation
Impact of environmental cues on DNA methylation patterns

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "DNA methylation, from bacteria to humans" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.