Robin Webster

CpG methylation analysis helps researchers understand the transcriptional potential of a gene. Prior to publication in the Journal of Biological Chemistry (Webster et al., 2007, Vol. 282(1), pp. 700-709) no one had previously attempted to use high-throughput techniques to map changes in CpG methylation locus-wide during cellular differentiation, at least not to my knowledge. This approach was formulated in collaboration with a laboratory specializing in high-throughput techniques, but the idea to map the methylation state of an entire locus germinated in my mind as I began to analyze the data. When it became apparent that the data was of sufficient quality and the primary limitation was the development of good PCR primers, I argued in favor of extending the analysis beyond the proximal promoter with my mentor and collaborators and generously received the necessary support.