Physics of DNA processes in a fully packed environment

Although so-called in vitro experiments with purified proteins can teach us a lot about how protein systems function, it is not clear how these concepts should be translated into the far more complex environment found in real living cells. The same is true for crowding effects, interactions between molecules at very high densities. The research programme focuses on explaining the molecular physics underlying the effects of crowding on proteins and their interactions with DNA. For a fundamental understanding of these effects the researchers need to bridge the gap between biophysical in vitro experiments and studies of biological processes in their physiologically relevant environment.

Programme leader professor Antoine van Oijen (Zernike Institute, University of Groningen): "In this programme we are combining the strengths of several leading biophysics research groups. Our main focus will be the consequences of crowding on proteins that interact with DNA, both DNA-copying and DNA-translating proteins. With this approach we hope to understand the effects of three-dimensional crowding as equally one-dimensional crowding based on DNA. A better understanding of the role that physics plays in these systems can be directly translated to many other important biological processes as well."