Mission

Our group applies the principles of physics and chemistry and the methods of mathematical analysis and computer modelling to understand the structure, dynamics, and functional mechanisms of biological systems and to apply this knowledge to the design of nano-devices of technological importance. Our research can be classified according to the following areas: Self-associated structures, complexity and emergence Dynamic assembly of biomolecules regulated by enzymes Biopolymer physics, soft condensed matter and complex fluids

Our methodology includes: Molecular and microbiology Light, neutron and x-ray scattering Nuclear magnetic resonance, including micro-imaging Optical, fluorescence, scanning probe and electron microscopy Molecular dynamics and computational biology Micro and nanofluidics Physical modeling

We collaborate among others with the Centre for Ion Beam Applications (CIBA).

Vacancies

• We are always looking for motivated students who want to do a short or longer term research project in our laboratories. A PhD scholarship is available.

New(s) and Notable

• Reconstituted TAD-Size Chromatin Fibers Feature Heterogeneous Nucleosome Clusters, N. Korolev, A. Zinchenko, A. Soman, Q. Chen, S. Y. Wong, N. V. Berezhnoy, R. Basak, J. R. C. van der Maarel, J. van Noort, and L. Nordenskiold, Scientific Reports 12, 15558 (2022), DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19471-3

• Amyloid-like Hfq Interaction with Single Stranded DNA: Involvement in Recombination and Replication in Escherichia coli, K. Kubiak, F. Wien, I. Yadav, N. C. Jones, S. V. Hoffmann, E. Le Cam, A. Cossa, F. Geinguenaud, J. R. C. van der Maarel, G. Wegrzyn, and V. Arluison, QRB Discovery (2022), DOI: 10.1017/qrd.2022.15

• SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein and Mouse Coronavirus Inhibit Biofilm Formation by Streptococcus Pneumoniae and Staphylococcus Aureus, M. F. Loke, I. Yadav, T. K. Lim, J. R. C. van der Maarel, L-T Sham, and V. T. Chow, International Journal of Molecular Sciences 23, 3291 (2022), DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063291

• Mobility of Bacterial Protein Hfq on dsDNA: Role of C-Terminus Mediated Transient Binding, C. J. Tan, R. Basak, I. Yadav, J. A. van Kan, V. Arluison, and J.R.C. van der Maarel, The Journal of Physical Chemistry B 126, 1477-1482 (2022), DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c10234

• Internal Motion of Chromatin Fibers is Governed by Dynamics of Uncompressed Linker Strands, R. Basak, W. Rosencrans, I. Yadav, P. Yan, N. V. Berezhnoy, Q. Chen, J. A. van Kan, L. Nordenskiold, A. Zinchenko, and J. R. C. van der Maarel, Biophysical Journal 119, 2326-2334 (2020), DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.10.018

• Role of DNA Internal Motion on the Mobility of a Nucleoid Associated Protein, I. Yadav, R. Basak, P. Yan, J. A. van Kan, V. Arluison, and J.R.C. van der Maarel, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 11, 8424-8429 (2020), DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c02251