Packaging and Processing DNA

The human genome is two meters long but fits inside the microscopic nucleus of a cell. How does it do this? Our work suggests that the genome forms loops and domains through a process called extrusion.

YOUTUBE Tn5qgEqWgW8 Published on Oct 19, 2015. How does DNA fold? The loop extrusion model. source

See "Chromatin extrusion explains key features of loop and domain formation in wild-type and engineered genomes." Sanborn and Rao et al., PNAS 2015. pnas

The broader bounds of this work have been described in a beautifully metaphorical stop-motion video relating the scientific study of epigenetics to the ancient traditions of origami. Any truly profound information process will likely be this simple at its core.

YOUTUBE dES-ozV65u4 Published on Dec 11, 2014. Suhas Rao and Miriam Huntley (of the Aiden Lab) describe a 3D map of the human genome at kilobase resolution, revealing the principles of chromatin looping. Guest Origami Folding: Sarah Nyquist.