Steven Henikoff

Cape Town HVTN Immunology Laboratory / Hutchinson Centre Research Institute of South Africa

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Steven Henikoff is a pioneering molecular biologist whose work has fundamentally reshaped epigenomics and chromatin biology. His key research areas include chromatin structure, histone modifications, and the development of revolutionary genome-wide profiling technologies. Henikoff’s most transformative contribution is the invention of CUT&RUN (Cleavage Under Targets and Release Using Nuclease), a groundbreaking method for mapping protein-DNA interactions in situ with high efficiency and low cell numbers. This technique, detailed in his 2018 and 2019 protocols, offers a superior alternative to traditional chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP-seq), enabling precise, low-noise profiling from as few as a single cell. While his most-cited papers are recent methodological works, Henikoff’s broader impact is immense, with seminal discoveries like the histone variant H3.3 and the concept of "oncohistones" accumulating tens of thousands of citations. A Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and member of the National Academy of Sciences, Henikoff has also developed the widely used SIFT algorithm for predicting damaging genetic variants. His work continues to empower researchers worldwide to explore epigenomic landscapes with unprecedented resolution and simplicity.