Measuring the physics that drives DNA-protein interactions

Authors

Gijs Wuite Physics of Living Systems, Department of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam

Abstract

The genetic information of an organism is encoded in the base pair sequence of its DNA. Many specialized proteins are involved in organizing, preserving and processing the vast amounts of information on the DNA. In order to do this swiftly and correctly these proteins have to move quickly and accurately along and/or around the DNA constantly rearranging it. In order to elucidate these kind of processes we perform single-molecule experiments on model systems such as restriction enzymes, DNA polymerases and repair proteins. The data we use to extract forces, energies and mechanochemistry driving these dynamic transactions. The results obtained from these model systems are then generalized and thought to be applicable to many DNA-protein interactions.

About the Speaker

Gijs Wuite, Physics of Living Systems, Department of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam

Gijs Wuite obtained his Ph. D. in biophysics in 2000. Since 2001 he has led his own group at the VU University Amsterdam and in 2009 was appointed to full professor. In his research he has successfully applied quantitative physical tools to investigate fundamental problems in biology, and to search for the unification of apparently unrelated biological phenomena. Moreover, he has been at the front of recent new and fast developments of biophysical techniques that have enabled visualization, manipulation and control of complex biological reactions. His work has appeared in journals such as Nature, Science, PNAS and Physical Review Letters. His research has been awarded with the prestigious ERC-consolidator grant.

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Issue

2013: Proceedings of the 31st Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas Physics Congress

Article ID

SPP2013-PS-5

Section

Invited Presentations

Published

2013-10-23

How to Cite

[1]

G Wuite, Measuring the physics that drives DNA-protein interactions, Proceedings of the Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas 31, SPP2013-PS-5 (2013). URL: https://proceedings.spp-online.org/article/view/SPP2013-PS-5.