ERC Advanced Grant · 2019
Bottom up biophysics approach to resolve the looping structure of chromosomes
How is DNA spatially organized in our cells? What are the mechanisms that shape chromosomes and how does their 3D architecture direct their function? Recent years have shown that the spatial structure of the genome is of pivotal importance for its biological function. Yet, the basic physics of the formation and regulation of its 3D structure has remained unclear. This proposal aims to understand the fundamental structure of chromosomes using a bottom up biophysics approach, from looping at the single-molecule level to higher levels of complexity. We focus on so-called SMC protein complexes (SMC = Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes). These ring-shaped proteins are a unique new type of…
From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.