Science / Technology - Colloquium
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
5:00 PM-6:00 PM
Olin Hall
107
DNA in cells and viruses finds itself packed into a tight space, occupying a volume much smaller that the volume it adopts free in solution. This state of confinement places important constraints on a variety of biological processes, such as viral infection, gene expression, and DNA recombination. Quantitative experimental techniques such as laser tweezers, cryo-electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy have recently begun to probe the confined state of DNA, both in live cells and in the test tube. In this talk I will describe this emerging experimental landscape and outline the theoretical challenges it poses. The particular examples I will focus on will be provided by DNA packing in viruses and gene regulation in bacteria where physics models can be used to propose a new generation of quantitative biology experiments.
Cost: FREE
Sponsored by: WPI Physics Dept., Dr. Rafael Garcia
Suggested Audiences: College
E-mail:
garcia@wpi.edu
Phone: 508-831-5342
Last Modified: October 21, 2005 at 11:25 AM
Powered by the Social Web - Bringing people together through Events, Places, & Common Interests