Editorials in 2017

This issue features epigenetic analysis of cell commitment at many levels in mammalian genomes: during early embryonic development, in stem cells, and in cancer cells. The establishment, propagation and dynamic robustness of cell states is addressed by comprehensive interrogation of the coordination of DNA methylation with the marks and organization of chromatin and programs of gene expression. Understanding this landscape of commitment is essential to interpretation of the functional consequences of genome variation.

In the motivation, conduct and reporting of science, there is no substitute for reason, and it must prevail whenever scientific methods are used. Similarly, scientific recommendations can only be useful if they meet with rational decision-making. Because people come to decisions from diverse viewpoints and values, listening to the values and views of scientists and non-scientists—while explicitly refraining from debate and persuasion—may point the way to determining when and where scientific ideas are of interest and likely to be adopted.

Citation of prior publications is essential both to claim that knowledge is needed in your area of research and to establish that you have indeed advanced understanding substantially in that area. The journal deplores and will decline to consider manuscripts that fail to identify the key findings of published articles and that—deliberately or inadvertently—omit the reason the prior work is cited.

This issue highlights a range of genetic techniques and cell biological models required to begin to understand the levels of long-range regulation of gene expression as it occurs during cell differentiation. Explanations based on the specificity of covalent modifications and binding interactions intersect with evidence for conjectured mechanisms of topological loop creation and maintenance by transcription and motile protein activities.

A solution to screening for recessive heritable disorders and identifying genetic influences on common diseases is to be found in the history of one of the world's most populous regions. Large South Asian populations are a mosaic of smaller populations, many of which have founder effects as extreme as those in the European isolates that first inspired genetic medicine.

This month's research articles span the range of scales of gene-regulatory mechanisms, from a deceptively simple gene therapy vector, via synthetic gene expression circuits, to extremely intricate epigenetic switches. We encourage investigation of synthetic circuits exploring the functions of the 3D genome.

This journal and Scientific Data are calling for submissions containing linked open data models that embody and extend the FAIR principles: that data should be findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable by both humans and machines. These principles are achievable with existing resources, languages and vocabularies to enable computers to combine and reanalyze data sets automatically and lead humans to new discoveries.

Understanding of how epigenetic information is acquired, processed and transmitted through cell division, and potentially across generations, remains limited. Mechanistic studies aiming to elucidate the molecular underpinnings of these phenomena may provide insights into development, disease susceptibility and evolution.

With the advent of precision genome editing, the ability to modify living organisms has proceeded with remarkable speed and breadth. Any application of this technology to the human germ line must be tightly coupled to deliberate consideration of the consequences, both scientific and social, of introducing heritable alterations to the human population. We recommend constant oversight and evaluation of human germline genome editing to balance prudence with discovery, and risk with progress.