Asia Research News 2021

Page 32

MEDICINE

WATCHING DNA STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN REAL TIME Researchers have observed DNA spooling and unspooling in real time using CRISPR to attach fluorescent tags to very specific DNA points in living cells. Researchers at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) have developed a way to label specific points in DNA inside living cells with fluorescent probes, using the gene-editing technology CRISPR/ Cas9. The labelling system, described in the journal Genome Research, enables real-time tracking of how DNA is packaged inside the cell nucleus. Each cell in the human body contains approximately two metres of DNA, efficiently wrapped around proteins called histones so it can fit inside the nucleus. The whole complex of DNA and histone proteins is called chromatin, and the physical structure and dynamics of chromatin heavily influence which genes are expressed. “New methods for tracking the movements of chromatin in real time could help

identify how changes in chromatin structure affect gene expression, aging and cancer,” says UNIST biomedical engineer Hajin Kim. Kim and his colleagues used the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology to attach fluorescent probes to precise segments of DNA, called loci, inside living cells. They were able to minimize background noise from the probes lighting up more than the targeted area to improve their ability to observe small sections of chromatin. They did this by combining a particular type of probe, called a tripartite superfolder green fluorescent protein, with another molecular system, called SunTag. This design amplifies the target signal and also allows certain components to be refreshed, extending the time the labelled loci glow.

Credit: UNIST

Using the system, the researchers were able to see the location and motion of the target chromatin segment by looking through a fluorescence microscope. The team observed that DNA strands not only move passively inside the nucleus, as ink spreads in water, but also actively in certain time scales, confirming an earlier prediction, says Narendra Chaudhary, PhD candidate and first author of the study. Now, researchers can use the system to target a wider range of loci throughout the genome and observe their movement inside the nucleus. It opens up new possibilities for studying genetic processes inside living cell nuclei, such as DNA replication, repair, recombination and transcription, through direct imaging.

Credit: UNIST

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Existing techniques, such as Hi-C, have enabled scientists to infer the whole chromatin structure, but not to track specific sections along the DNA. The new technique allows scientists to label specific points or regions of DNA in live cells. Thus, it becomes possible to observe the structure of DNA regions (left) or to track their diffusing motions (right). Credit: Siarhei Yurchanka | 123rf

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Further Associate Professor Hajin Kim | hajinkim@unist.ac.kr information Single Molecule Biophysics Laboratory Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology


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COVID-19: OUR COMMUNITY ON THE FRONT LINES OF RESEARCH

8min
pages 50-53

Welcome to the 2021 edition of Asia Research News

1min
page 5

GIANTS IN HISTORY

4min
pages 48-49

ELEVATING WOMEN LEADERS IN MYANMAR

7min
pages 44-47

見えない生態系が残した物語を紡ぐ

1min
pages 42-43

地球の底から、惑星誕生の謎に迫る

1min
pages 40-41

EARLY EARTH DROPLETS AND THE ORIGINS OF LIFE

4min
pages 36-37

ATMOSPHERIC TIDAL WAVES MAINTAIN VENUS’S SUPER-ROTATION

2min
pages 34-35

WATCHING DNA STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN REAL TIME

2min
page 32

MONITORING MALARIA PARASITE POPULATIONS IN MALAYSIAN BORNEO

2min
pages 30-31

MAGNETIC SPRAY TRANSFORMS OBJECTS INTO MILLIROBOTS

2min
pages 28-29

A FAST SPIN TEST FOR URINARY TRACT INFECTION

2min
page 27

THE PERFECT ANGLE FOR E-SKIN ENERGY STORAGE

2min
page 26

GAINING MORE CONTROL OVER FUEL CELL MEMBRANES

2min
page 23

SELF-HEALING GELS COULD POWER FUTURE ELECTRONICS

2min
page 22

PUTTING A SPIN ON HEUSLER ALLOYS

2min
pages 20-21

MANUFACTURING MADE EASY WITH ONE-STEP PRINTING

2min
page 19

ELASTOMERS DEVELOP STRONGER BONDS OF ATTACHMENT

2min
page 18

AI HELPS DESIGN NEW ALLOYS MADE TO ORDER

2min
page 17

BRINGING THE GREEN REVOLUTION TO ELECTRONICS

2min
page 16

WHEN EVOLUTIONARY TREES GET FROGGY

2min
pages 14-15

RARE ACCESS REVEALS EAST ANTARCTIC MELTING HOTSPOT

2min
pages 12-13

ELECTRICITY GENERATED DROP BY DROP

2min
pages 10-11

MACHINE LEARNING PREDICTS STRUCTURAL CORROSION

2min
pages 8-9

THE VIRUS HUNTER

4min
pages 38-39

DEEP OCEAN IN DEEP TROUBLE

3min
pages 6-7
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