Biophysics of Nuclear Organization
Genomic analysis has made it clear that the 3D organization of chromatin is not random in the interphase nucleus and is key to our further understanding of how gene expression is regulated. However, the molecular-level details of these structures, how they form within the crowded environment of the nucleus and how they might respond dynamically to signals, is not at all understood. Biophysical approaches such as quantitative microscopy, molecular dynamics, and polymer physical chemistry will be required to elucidate the role of nuclear organization in both normal development and disease. This webinar is intended to introduce this emerging field with presentations from three pioneers in the field, David Spector, Tamar Schlick, and Leonid Mirny, using complementary approaches to these problems. The moderator, Keir Neuman, is an editor for Biophysical Journal, and his research specialty is in nucleic acid biophysics.