The new platform integrates genomic and epigenomic data in a single long-read sequencing assay, providing high-resolution insights into chromatin structure, gene regulation, and disease mechanisms.
EpiCypher has launched CUTANA Fiber-seq, a multiomic genomics platform that captures both genomic and epigenomic information in a single long-read sequencing assay. The technology delivers high-resolution analysis of DNA sequence and chromatin features along individual DNA molecules.
The Fiber-seq workflow begins with nuclei treated with the Hia5 methyltransferase, which deposits 6mA marks at regions of accessible DNA. Chromatin fibers are then extracted and subjected to long-read sequencing using PacBio or Oxford Nanopore Technologies platforms, where both the Hia5-incorporated 6mA modifications and the underlying DNA sequence are directly detected.
This generates a single-molecule, multiomic readout that integrates genetic information, endogenous DNA methylation, and chromatin accessibility across long, continuous DNA molecules. Unlike conventional ATAC-seq, Fiber-seq provides base-pair resolution of transcription factor footprints along individual DNA fibers.
“Fiber-seq gives an unprecedented view of the genome—not just the sequence, but the epigenomic states of individual DNA molecules,” says Michael-Christopher Keogh, PhD, chief scientific officer at EpiCypher, in a release. “This offers a new lens into biology and disease, with transformative implications for fundamental research and translational science.”
Commercial Offerings and Services
EpiCypher has launched the CUTANA Hia5 for Fiber-seq, the key enzyme used in the optimized Fiber-seq protocol, enabling researchers to deploy the platform in their laboratories. The company also offers Early Access CUTANA Fiber-seq Assay Services, extending its automated CUTANA CUT&RUN platform.
The technology addresses applications across basic and translational research, drug discovery and development, and clinical research and diagnostics. For precision medicine applications, Fiber-seq has demonstrated utility in diagnosing rare diseases, as shown in a recent Nature Genetics publication that used the technology to uncover genetic drivers of rare disorders.
Clinical and Research Applications
The platform enables mapping of genetic and epigenetic landscapes on individual molecules to study genome regulation mechanisms. In drug discovery, it can identify and validate therapeutic targets by resolving chromatin states and DNA modifications at high resolution.
“We are thrilled to bring epigenomics to the cutting-edge of long read sequencing technology,” says Martis Cowles, chief business officer at EpiCypher, in a release. “CUTANA Fiber-seq is the gateway to a powerful new era of single-molecule multiomics that will advance research and precision medicine in ways that were simply not possible using current short read workflows.”
The Durham, NC-based company specializes in chromatin mapping technologies and offers the CUTANA platform for genomic profiling assays, including CUT&RUN and CUT&Tag, along with designer nucleosomes and complementary assays and services.
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