Optical tweezers have become the method of choice in single-molecule manipulation
studies. In this Primer, we first review the physical principles of optical tweezers and the …

The twin-supercoiled-domain model describes how transcription can drive DNA
supercoiling, and how DNA supercoiling, in turn, plays an important role in regulating gene …

In cells, RNA polymerase (RNAP) must transcribe supercoiled DNA, whose torsional state is
constantly changing, but how RNAP deals with DNA supercoiling remains elusive. We report …

To simulate long time and length scale processes involving DNA it is necessary to use a
coarse-grained description. Here we provide an overview of different approaches to such …

R-loop structures are a prevalent class of alternative non-B DNA structures that form during
transcription upon invasion of the DNA template by the nascent RNA. R-loops form …

Optical trapping is a powerful manipulation and measurement technique widely used in the
biological and materials sciences,,,,,,,. Miniaturizing optical trap instruments onto optofluidic …

DNA torsional elastic properties play a crucial role in DNA structure, topology, and the
regulation of motor protein progression. However, direct measurements of these parameters …

Nucleic acids are central to the storage and transmission of genetic information. Mechanical
properties, along with their sequence, both enable and fundamentally constrain the …

Cruciforms occur when inverted repeat sequences in double-stranded DNA adopt intra-
strand hairpins on opposing strands. Biophysical and molecular studies of these structures …

Magnetic particles are widely used in lab-on-chip and biosensing applications, because
they have a high surface-to-volume ratio, they can be actuated with magnetic fields and …