About MethPrimer

The Origins of MethPrimer

MethPrimer was conceived in 2002 by Dr. Long-Cheng Li during his tenure as a research scientist at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). At the time, bisulfite modification-based detection of DNA methylation was gaining increasing importance in research, but there was a significant lack of dedicated tools to design primers for such studies.

Recognizing this critical gap, Dr. Li developed MethPrimer to address the need for an efficient and reliable primer design tool for methylation research. Built upon the foundational work of Primer3—a widely recognized primer design program created by Steve Rozen and Helen J. Skaletsky at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research—MethPrimer streamlined and simplified the complex process of designing primers for bisulfite-converted DNA.

First introduced in his seminal 2002 publication, MethPrimer has since become a cornerstone tool in epigenetics and related fields. Its user-friendly interface and powerful algorithms have empowered researchers worldwide in uncovering the mysteries of DNA methylation.

About Dr. Long-Cheng Li

Dr. Long-Cheng Li, the visionary behind MethPrimer, is a trailblazing scientist with a diverse background in clinical medicine, molecular biology, bioinformatics, and epigenetics. During his time at UCSF, Dr. Li's research focused on uncovering the molecular mechanisms that regulate gene expression, particularly in cancer biology.

In 2006, while investigating the mechanisms regulating DNA methylation in cancer, Dr. Li made a groundbreaking discovery—the RNA Activation (RNAa) mechanism. This discovery revealed that promoter-targeted small activating RNAs (saRNAs) could upregulate gene expression at the transcriptional level, opening new frontiers in molecular therapeutics.

In 2017, Dr. Li transitioned from academia to entrepreneurship, founding Ractigen Therapeutics to translate RNAa technology into transformative treatments. Ractigen's first saRNA medicine is now in phase I clinical trials for treating bladder cancer.

Dr. Li's dedication to advancing the research community goes far beyond MethPrimer. In 1999, he launched Protocol Online, a free and widely used database of bioscience methods and protocols. For more than 26 years, Protocol Online has supported researchers worldwide. Together with MethPrimer, these initiatives stand as a testament to Dr. Li's unwavering commitment to making science more accessible, efficient, and impactful.

Continuing the Legacy

MethPrimer was originally hosted by the Li Laboratory and is now maintained by Ractigen Therapeutics, ensuring its continued availability to researchers worldwide. Ractigen remains committed to empowering the scientific community by keeping this invaluable tool accessible for free.