A more realistic look at DNA in action: Study shows it behaves differently when crowded by molecules

A more realistic look at DNA in action

By creating a more true-to-life representation of DNA's environment, researchers have discovered that strand separation may take more mechanical force than the field previously believed.

A more realistic look at DNA in action: Study shows it behaves differently when crowded by molecules

By creating a more true-to-life representation of DNA's environment, researchers at Northwestern University have discovered that strand separation—the essential process a "resting" double helix undergoes before it can initiate replication or make repairs—may take more mechanical force than the field previously believed.