New platform SHIELD can effectively screen for protective DNA elements in human cells
The human genome consists of roughly 20,000 genes. Most of those genes contain instructions for making proteins, which work to build, repair, and regulate everything in our bodies. The genes are separated into distinct domains, and between those domains are boundary regions of DNA, which help to separate genes and ensure there isn’t crosstalk resulting in expression (genes turned on) or silencing (genes turned off) between the genes. Unfortunately, disruptions within boundary regions can still occur, leading to gene misexpression and disease in humans.