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SUMMARY:Computational modelling of genome organisation - Understanding the
  compaction of DNA within cells - Esmae Woods\, University of Cambridge 
DTSTART:20210210T150000Z
DTEND:20210210T153000Z
UID:TALK153838@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Lisa Masters
DESCRIPTION:Under physiological conditions\, DNA is negatively charged - r
 esulting in large repulsive electrostatic forces between segments of the D
 NA chain. Despite this\, our genome is highly compact - with each of our c
 ells containing around 2 metres of DNA within a nucleus of only 10 micro-m
 etres in diameter. In order to help achieve this compaction\, DNA wraps ar
 ound positively charged proteins to form nucleosomes - which self-assemble
  into a highly dynamic and liquid-like structure known as chromatin.\n\nUn
 derstanding the dynamics and structure of chromatin can help shed light on
  the functional organisation of the genome: hopefully leading to better un
 derstanding of cellular mechanisms\, from the regulation of gene transcrip
 tion to the development of neurological disorders such as ALS. A crucial e
 xperimental discovery came in 2019 from the Rosen Lab (Texas\, USA)\, show
 ing that chromatin forms liquid droplets under physiological conditions. T
 he Collepardo Lab has developed a multi-scale coarse-grained model of chro
 matin at three levels of resolution\, to investigate the individual molecu
 lar mechanisms involved in chromatin dynamics and phase separation through
  molecular dynamics simulations. We find that nucleosome breathing – the
  intrinsic ability of DNA to spontaneously unwrap and rewrap around nucleo
 somes at physiological conditions- promotes phase separation and increases
  the heterogenetity of ­nucleosome contacts.\n\nMy talk will focus on our
  coarsest or “minimal” model – the resolution level required to inve
 stigate the collective behaviour of phase separation. I will explain how u
 sing this model\, our direct coexistence molecular dynamics simulations re
 capitulate the experimental phase behaviour of 12-nucleosome chromatin arr
 ays\, and simultaneously provide a framework to assess the physical parame
 ters explaining chromatin phase separation.\n\n \n
LOCATION:Zoom Meeting ID: 983 5633 9540 Passcode: 268115
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