Single-Chromosome Biophysics

Abstract

This doctoral thesis stands on three pillars that emerged from following my scientific interests: i) biophysics, ii) synthetic biology, and iii) biosecurity. The former, biophysics, reflects my desire for deep understanding of biological systems and my affinity for experimental work. The latter, synthetic biology and biosecurity, were born from the conviction that the understanding obtained in pursuing science offers the most fulfillment when applied to the benefits of society.

The main part of this thesis explores methodologies for the extraction, and characterization of large-scale DNA, with a particular focus on the megabase-pair length DNA from bacterial sources. The research aims to bridge the gap between in vivo chromosome studies and in vitro single-molecule techniques by developing approaches that enable the investigation of chromosome structure and dynamics at a more relevant genomic scale. The following chapters detail the experimental approaches, results, and conclusions drawn from this work.