Bottom up biophysics approach to resolve the looping structure of chromosomes

Project Information

LoopingDNA

Grant agreement ID: 883684

DOI 10.3030/883684

EC signature date 12 May 2020

Start date 1 July 2020

End date 30 June 2025

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost € 2 500 000,00

EU contribution € 2 500 000,00

Coordinated by

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFT
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - LoopingDNA (Bottom up biophysics approach to resolve the looping structure of chromosomes)

Reporting period: 2022-01-01 to 2023-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

This project studies so-called SMC protein complexes (SMC = Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes). These ring-shaped proteins are a unique new type of molecular motors that can extrude large loops of DNA that are thought to be the basis of chromosome structure. Using single-molecule biophysics techniques, we discover many of the basic properties of these fascinating molecular motors. We extend this to even build a chromosome from the bottom up, in a ‘genome-in-a-box’ approach where we will take genome-length bare DNA and add SMC protein complexes and other DNA-processing proteins.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Main results so far include many findings on these SMC proteins - resolving how they work mechanistically.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Next, we will expand these experiments and start building chromosomes from the bottom up.