In normal differentiated cells, most of the genome is densely methylated, except CpG islands near promoters of actively transcribed genes. Maintaining this boundary between unmethylated promoter-associated and adjacent methylated regions is crucial as loss of segregation can lead to disease. Unfortunately, it is not clear where these boundaries are,...

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS), a condition which causes the spine to curve sideways, affects as many as 4 in 100 adolescents, according to the Scoliosis Research Society. The most common treatment of this condition is surgery, with positive outcomes correlating with greater technique and experience of the surgeon. There are about 29,000 AIS...