Microscope with optical tweezers

• Subject Area: Basic Research in Biology and Medicine
• Term: Funded in 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 429711074

The three-dimensional organization of chromosomes is determined by theinteractions between structural proteins and nucleic acids. Recentwork has shown that there is a direct link between the physicalstructure of interphase chromosomes and gene expression. However, thedetailed mechanism of how structural constraints in chromosomes areestablished, and how they influence gene expression, is still unknown.Our work focuses on elucidating the principles of how a small set ofproteins can fold nucleic acids and chromatin into hierarchicallyorganized domains. We employ single molecule techniques to study theinteractions of protein components involved in the structuralorganization of chromosomes with DNA, with the overarching goal ofreconstituting chromosomal domains in an in-vitro assay in a bottom-upapproach.In one line of research, we employ micromanipulation by opticaltweezers to study the mechanical properties of reconstitutedchromosome-like structures. In this proposal, we apply for a confocalmodule to extend our optical tweezers system. This instrument willallow us to pursue novel assays, such as the simultaneoustime-correlated observation of protein binding (through confocal) andstructural rearrangements (through optical tweezers). With theproposed instrument, we will be able to pursue innovative experiments,with the goal of observing reconstituted chromosomal folding in realtime.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Mikroskop mit Optischer Pinzette
• Instrumentation Group: 5040 Spezielle Mikroskope (außer 500-503)
• Applicant Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
• Leader: Professor Dr. Johannes Stigler