Date/Time
Date(s) - 07/12/2005
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Title: DNA-inspired physics: theory and biological relevance

Speaker: Dr. Bae-Yeun Ha

Institute: University of Waterloo

Location: ABB 102

Description:

DNA is not only a passive storage of life’s information but also a fascinating physical object, actively participating in many biological processes of vital importance (e.g., DNA replication/packaging). In aqueous solution, DNA is a highly-charged molecular spring. DNA strands resist bending, twisting, stretching, and confinement; by themselves, they would repel each other. In living cells, DNA is packaged and organized into higher-order structures. In this talk, I will present simple physical pictures of DNA to account for some features of DNA organization. The main focus will be on illustrating how the charge and elastic properties of DNA are reflected in DNA packaging/looping/replication.