Location, location, (ChIP-)location! mapping chromatin landscapes one immunoprecipitation at a time

A small fraction of the typical animal genome (<5% in humans) codes for the organism's collection of proteins, yet the study of protein coding sequences dominated the early years of genomics research. In the decade since the sequencing of complete eukaryotic genomes, however, genomic techniques have shed a great deal of light on the non-coding DNA making up the remainder. A single molecular technique, Chromatin Immuno-Precipitation (ChIP) location analysis, has had a profound impact and has made possible the study of an incredible range of biology. This issue of The Journal of Cellular Biochemistry aims to put into context advancements made possible by the ChIP-location revolution, while at the same time highlighting some of the most important technical aspects and challenges along with some of the work yet to come.