My work is with highly plastic eukaryote taxa, with real time visible structural variation on individuals. I suspect they have high epigenetic fluidity while growing, and would like to understand the underlying mechanism(s) that alters epigenetic expression in this group. Methylation studies are what are most easy to study now for epigenetics, and may be of some use. However, methylation studies require existence of a gene map or maps, that this taxon does not have yet, and methylation is only one of many ways that epigenetic expression is impacted. Are there other methods that researchers are using now to get at how cells alter and/or manage epigenetic expression? Please tell me about other approaches, include equipment, supplies and approximate costs if you can. Anything useful on methylation would also be of use. Thank you.