Update on Biophysics of Nucleic Acids

Dear Colleagues,

Understanding the relationship between the dynamics and structure of nucleic acids, as well as their biological functions, is an important challenge. The dynamics of DNA molecules can be influenced by various external factors, including mechanical, thermodynamic, chemical, and electromagnetic. All of these effects ultimately change the DNA dynamics, thereby affecting the transcription, translation, and replication processes. Studies of external influences on the conformational transition of nucleic acids are of particular interest. Mathematical modeling methods and experimental biophysical techniques can be used to study the structure of nucleic acids. For example, the formation and dynamics of the open states of a double-stranded DNA molecule are largely determined by its mechanical parameters, with the main one being torque. However, experimental studies of DNA dynamics and the emergence of open states are limited by the spatial resolution of the available biophysical tools. Therefore, most research in this area is still carried out using mathematical modeling methods. Nonetheless, novel methods for the study of single molecules have recently become more widespread, including optical tweezers, magnetic tweezers, angular optical trap, and magnetic torque tweezers.

Dr. Stepan Dzhimak and Dr. Anna Dorohova
Guest Editors

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