Single-molecule force-fluorescence studies of genetic and epigenetic machinery

Genome replication and gene expression are carried out by molecular machines that measure in nanometers and generate forces in piconewtons. My laboratory mainly employs single-molecule fluorescence detection and force manipulation techniques to study these biochemical and mechanical processes that govern genetic and epigenetic inheritance. This approach enables us to follow transient, stochastic, and heterogeneous molecular events that are inaccessible by ensemble-averaging methods. By reconstituting DNA/chromatin-based macromolecular complexes and tracking their dynamic behavior in real time, we have gained fresh insights into their physicochemical properties and regulatory mechanisms.