The organization of chromosomes of bacteria, even for the heavily studied case of E. coli, is cloaked in mystery. Using fluorescently-tagged chromosome-organizing proteins, NU-MRSEC researchers have developed techniques to directly visualize the chromosome inside a living E. coli cell, following its progeny as it divides to form a “microcolony”. These methods will be used to analyze how the chromosome foldes and divides, what the role of specific proteins is in maintaining its shape, and how chromosome folding mediated by those proteins affects expression of genes and the operation of cell metabolic processes. Applications include improvement of genetic “programming” of cells for biomaterial production.
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