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VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//RLASKEY//CALENDEROUS//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20261020T001710Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180417T140522Z
DTSTART:20180423T163000Z
DTEND:20180423T173000Z
UID:event1913@bu.edu
URL:http://physics.bu.edu/internal/events/show/1913
SUMMARY:"Studying the dramatic looping of DNA in sperm using single molecul
	e assays"
DESCRIPTION:Featuring Ashley Carter\, Amherst College\nHosted by: Maria Kam
	enetska\n\nPart of the Biophysics Seminars.\n\nDNA in sperm cells is comple
	tely different from DNA in other cells. In sperm cells\, protamine proteins
	 dramatically condense DNA to almost crystalline packing levels by looping 
	the DNA into a series of toroids. One question of interest is how protamine
	 is able to fold the DNA into such a condensed state. Answering this questi
	on would be important in biomaterials research where one would like to engi
	neer DNA nanostructures to condense on cue. To investigate this question\, 
	we studied the looping of DNA by protamine using two single molecule assays
	. In one assay\, we use atomic force microscopy (AFM) to directly image loo
	ps. In the other assay\, a tethered particle motion (TPM) assay\, we use th
	e motion of a particle attached to the DNA as a way to measure the real-tim
	e looping of the DNA. Although DNA looping in sperm condenses the DNA in se
	veral minutes to 1/20th of its original size\, we find that looping is surp
	risingly not a one-step process. Here I will discuss the pathway and associ
	ated physics for DNA looping in sperm as well as the implications for engin
	eering DNA biomaterials.
LOCATION:SCI 352\, 590 Commonwealth Avenue\, 02215
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CLASS:PUBLIC
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