Cancer as an Epigenetic Disease

In this webinar, Zymo Research scientists and product specialists will guide you through an exciting lineup of next-generation sequencing technologies. This interactive webinar will delve into the innerworkings of some of our most popular NGS products, and offer you the chance to ask questions and get real-time insights during a dedicated live Q&A. Whether your focus is epigenomics, transcriptomics, genomics, or microbiomics, you’ll discover how cutting-edge tools and protocols are transforming workflows by simplifying preparation, improving sensitivity, and enhancing reproducibility. From low-input RNA-seq solutions to bias-minimized microbiome prep and novel epigenome assays, you’ll gain practical knowledge to directly strengthen your sequencing pipelines.

About Prof. Dr. Alexander Meissner:

Prof. Dr. Alexander Meissner is Director of the Department of Genome Regulation at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin. He studied medical biotechnology at TU Berlin and earned his Ph.D. with Rudolf Jaenisch at MIT’s Whitehead Institute, followed by postdoctoral research with Jaenisch and Eric Lander. In 2008, he established his own group at Harvard University and the Broad Institute, where he later became a tenured professor before moving to Berlin in 2017.
His research focuses on the regulation of the genome and epigenome during early mammalian development, pluripotency, and reprogramming, with a particular emphasis on DNA methylation dynamics and the interplay of repressive pathways. A major theme of his current work is understanding parallels between developmental and cancer epigenomes, including how stable epigenetic states and CpG island regulation contribute to oncogenesis. He is an elected EMBO member and recipient of a 2023 ERC Advanced Grant to decode the cancer epigenome using insights from developmental biology.

About Xiaojing Yang, Ph.D.:

With over a decade of experience in epigenetics and cancer research with a deep expertise in next-generation sequencing (NGS) and liquid biopsies, Xiaojing Yang, Ph.D., drives innovation at Zymo Research Corporation, where she leads strategic planning, development, and operational launch of innovative genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic technologies.

• Which epigenetic alterations - beyond genetic mutations - define tumor initiation and progression.
• How cancer shares conserved epigenomic features across patient tumors, xenografts, cell lines, and organoid models.
• Why cancer may represent an epigenetic state transition, challenging the classical somatic-to-cancer paradigm.

Attend this webinar to explore the role of epigenetics in health and disease with Prof. Dr. Meissner and see how Zymo Research’s state-of-the-art tools are empowering scientists to decode complex mechanisms underlying biology and medical research.