Did you ever wonder if cells of alligators and zebras transmit epigenetic information with the same accuracy? Or, for that matter, whether DNA methylation patterns are as stable in diseased tissues, as they are in normal tissues? It is now possible to address such questions. RCP: the Ratio of Concordance Preference is a new metric, to quantify and compare epigenetic flexibility and stability across loci, cell types, and developmental stages, without assuming any specific biochemical mechanisms. Development of this metric was led by my colleagues, Minseung Choi, Diane Genereux and Charles Laird in collaboration with researchers at the University of Washington, Pittsburgh, Princeton, and here at Nottingham; the metric makes use of hairpin bisulfite PCR data. The final version is now published in PLOS Genetics
