Lehrende/r: Dr. Udo Birk
Veranstaltungsart: Seminar
Anzeige im Stundenplan: Biophysics of Genome
Semesterwochenstunden: 2
Unterrichtssprache: Deutsch
Min. | Max. Teilnehmerzahl: - | -
Voraussetzungen / Organisatorisches: Advanced Seminar (Oberseminar) Times: Wednesday 11:00-12:30, Place: IMB Mainz, Ackermannweg 4, Board Room, 2nd floor The course will be available through video conferencing at KIP, Uni Heidelberg Lecturers: Prof. Dr. Christoph Cremer, Dr. Udo Birk Teaching language will be English, unless otherwise specified. This course addresses students who hold a Masters or Diplom degree in Physics or Biophysics. A good working knowledge in optics, genetics, and in digital image processing should be very helpful. This could be obtained in our other courses on Applied Biomedical Optics (see our Teaching Webpage at www.optics.imb-mainz.de).
Inhalt: Chromatin structure and especially its highly complex dynamics play a key role in the “on-and-off switching” of genes, i.e. in activation and silencing of gene expression. Present Spectral Position Determination Microscopy (SPDM) and other Super-resolution Light Microscopy applications studied in the Cremer-Lab include the analysis of the spatial correlation between single histone molecules and chromatin remodeling proteins; of the nuclear spatial relation between Polymerase II (Pol II) molecules and histones; between Pol II molecules and splicing factors; changes induced in chromatin nanostructure by radiation or other environmental agents. In the study of the highly complex folding and dynamics of DNA and associated protein complexes, the successful application and further development of new superresolution microscopy methods holds a key position, together with novel technologies of epigenetics analysis. This allows the organization of the cell nucleus to be resolved at the nanostructure level in order to be able to understand the mechanisms and regulatory processes involved in the “on-and-off switching” of genes. Supported by data from other (e.g. non-imaging epigenetic) analyses, this information presently enters into models used to describe and eventually determine how changes in chromatin organization alter the activation level of genes. The vast field of applications includes cancer research, cell differentiation (e.g. in the development of organs), drug development, radiation damage, ageing and many more.
Empfohlene Literatur: Wiley, Fluorescence Microscopy: From Principles to Biological Applications, ISBN: 978-3-527-32922-9 Springer, Handbook of Lasers and Optics, 2nd edition Wiley, Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics, ISBN: 978-1-118-58178-0
Zusätzliche Informationen: Course webpage: http://www.optics.imb-mainz.de/teach/genomebiophysics.php
