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.
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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.