Architecture, constraints, and functional consequences
Genomes are structured and dynamic macromolecules subject to physical constraints. All life contends with the surprising forces exerted by the central dogma. Processes like replication and transcription have physical consequences on the DNA template, and it is likely that they in turn are informed by physical factors. I am interested in untangling the relationship between genes and the forces that act on them, which could entail:
- creating new methods to measure physical properties like torsional strain;
- designing synthetic systems, endogenous perturbations, or natural experiments to test physically-motivated hypotheses
- incorporating physical properties into fundamental computational models of life