The decade of the epigenomes?

The beginning of this century was not only marked by the publication of the first draft of the human genome but also set off a decade of intense research on epigenetic phenomena. Apart from DNA methylation, it became clear that many other factors including a wide range of histone modifications, different shades of chromatin accessibility, and a vast suite of noncoding RNAs comprise the epigenome. With the recent advances in sequencing technologies, it has now become possible to analyze many of these features in depth, allowing for the first time the establishment of complete epigenomic profiles for basically every cell type of interest. Here, we will discuss the recent advances that allow comprehensive epigenetic mapping, highlight several projects that set out to better understand the epigenome, and discuss the impact that epigenomic mapping can have on our understanding of both healthy and diseased cells.