Dear Colleagues,

Epigenetics is the study of phenotypes that are stably inherited through chromosomal changes that do not involve DNA sequence changes. A more precise definition of epigenetic modification now includes histone mutations, post-translational modifications of amino acids at the amino terminus of histones, and covalent modifications of DNA bases involved in gene regulation. These changes can accumulate and lead to a range of diseases. Furthermore, because these changes are stably inherited, epigenetic regulation is an important mechanism for cell differentiation and fate determination.

Precision medicine refers to individualized health care based on an individual's genes, lifestyle, and environmental factors. In the case of precision medicine, epigenetics is thought to explain the secrets of cancer, and an increased understanding of the biological mechanisms of cancer may lead to the development of novel cancer treatments. Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence that comprises, a computer science technique designed to identify complex patterns in data that can for predicting and classifying new or, unknown data or allow for advanced exploratory data analysis. Machine learning of multimodal data in precision medicine enables comprehensive analysis of large datasets and ultimately provides a deeper understanding of epigenetics.

This special issue focuses on bioinformatics, machine learning, methods for analysing whole genetic data along with nd the use of epigenetics in precision medicine to improve disease treatment. This special issue requests welcomes, but is not limited to the following:
1. Big data in genomic/epigenomics and its role and applications in experimental and translational medicine.
2. The development and application of machine learning methods in genomic/epigenomic analysis.
3. Applications and tools of bioinformatics in experimental and translational medicine.

Assoc. Prof. Feng Jiang

Guest Editor