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Our research group is interested in the fascinating interplay of nano-science,
biology and physics. Here we list some selected examples of projects:
Geometry of Helices
In a study of DNA we show that the double helix adapt a pitch in agreement
with its volume fraction being optimized, i.e. that DNA is close-packed.
It is shown that there exist long chiral structures for which the strain-twist
coupling vanishes. The same analysis reveals the reason for DNA to
overwind when stretched.
Geometry of the Nucleosome and of Chromatin
We investigate the intriguing structure of the nucleosome and of the
chromatin
fiber.
Cold denaturation
We calculate phase diagrams for polymers and investigate the peculiar
phenomenon of cold denaturation. |