Chromatin research and biological engineering: an evolving relationship poised for new biomedical impacts

Recent work at the interface of biomedical engineering and chromatin research suggests that cell engineers are approaching the biochemically complex, protein-packaged eukaryotic genome with less trepidation and greater enthusiasm. Landmark discoveries, such as the connection between cell phenotype and chromatin features, and how these features are generated have paved the way toward chromatin engineering. Modular DNA sequences and fusion proteins can be used to protect synthetic DNA from undesirable regulation. Now, transgenes no longer lie completely at the mercy of native chromatin. Synthetic systems are also being used to produce mechanistic data. These data, plus information from descriptive profiling and associative studies, are converging upon a new investigative paradigm to solve puzzles of causality and enable chromatin-focused biomedical innovations.