Event Details

Dr. Horvath will present a comprehensive DNA methylation dataset that may intrigue computational scientists, longevity experts, and researchers interested in epigenetics and DNA methylation. This dataset encompasses n=15,456 DNA methylation samples obtained from 70 tissue types across 348 mammalian species, generated using the mammalian methylation array (A. Arneson, Jason Ernst 2022). The research team studied whether methylation levels of cytosines (CpGs) in conserved DNA sequences across species would enable the creation of a phylo-epigenetic tree. Universal pan-mammalian estimators for chronological age, sex, and tissue type (Ake Lu, Fei Zhe, 2022) were developed. By applying weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA), co-methylation modules associated with maximum lifespan (Amin Haghani) was discovered. Furthermore, perturbational studies were conducted in mice to pinpoint cytosines related to various murine longevity interventions (Nan Wang, William Yang). The data set lends itself for addressing many questions in comparative biology and for developing novel data analysis methods.