When force met fluorescence: new insights into molecular machines on DNA and chromatin

Genome replication and gene expression are carried out by macromolecular machines that exist at nanometer scale and generate piconewton forces. Challenged by the hierarchical chromatin organization and omnipresent thermal fluctuations, these DNA-based machines still accomplish their tasks with remarkable efficiency and accuracy. We leverage single-molecule techniques, particularly correlative fluorescence and force microscopy (smCFFM), to probe the dynamics and mechanics of replication, transcription, and chromatin machinery.  These investigations have yielded new insights into the principles of genetic and epigenetic inheritance.

Prof. Shixin Liu’s lab employs cutting-edge single-molecule techniques to analyze DNA interactions within complex chromatin structures during genome replication and gene expression. They integrate biophysical, biochemical, structural, and genomic methods to uncover unprecedented insights into the principles of genetic and epigenetic inheritance. In the past five years, his lab has published 13 papers with an average impact factor of 14.7 with the C-Trap.