Single molecule force spectroscopy is a powerful method that uses the mechanical
properties of DNA to explore DNA interactions. Here we describe how DNA stretching …

Elucidating the population dynamics of correlated electron-hole pairs (bound excitons) in
semiconducting quantum dots (QDs) is key for developing our fundamental understanding of …

Double-stranded (ds) RNA is the genetic material of a variety of viruses and has been
recently recognized as a relevant molecule in cells for its regulatory role. Despite that the …

Optical tweezers are ideally suited to perform force microscopy experiments that isolate a
single biomolecule, which then provides multiple binding sites for ligands. The captured …

The DNA double helix undergoes an 'overstretching'transition in a narrow force range near
65 pN. Despite numerous studies the basic question of whether the strands are separated or …

Complex and even non-monotonic responses to external control can be found in many
thermodynamic systems. In such systems, nonequilibrium shortcuts can rapidly drive the …

Recent studies have revealed two distinct pathways for the DNA overstretching transition
near 65 pN:'unpeeling'of one strand from the other, and a transition from B-DNA to an …

We use a recently developed coarse-grained model to simulate the overstretching of duplex
DNA. Overstretching at 23 C occurs at 74 pN in the model, about 6–7 pN higher than the …

Oct4 and Sox2 are key transcription factors (TFs) essential for maintaining pluripotency as
well as the self-renewal ability of embryonic stem cells (ESC). Oct4 and Sox2 have been …

When a long DNA molecule is stretched beyond its B-form contour length, a transition occurs
in which its length increases by a factor of 1.7, with very little force increase. A quantitative …