Abstract
To ensure that each daughter cell inherits a full genome during mitotic cell division, the DNA forms a highly condensed structure - the metaphase chromosome. Although the metaphase chromosome is of fundamental relevance for eukaryotic life, its structure and dynamics are not yet fully resolved. In this talk I will introduce a novel method to study metaphase chromosomes and their mechanical properties by using optical tweezers to hold and manipulate single isolated chromosomes. To characterize their viscoelasticity, we not only performed force-distance measurements, but also used small oscillations to assess the linear mechanical response of the chromosome, similar to active microrheology.
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