Speaker
Description
Recent developments investigating DNA topology have led to a wealth of knowledge regarding genome stability and cellular functions. The use of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has had great success in imaging high-resolution DNA topology at the nanoscale, revealing insights into fundamental biological processes, which was not previously possible using traditional structural biology techniques. However, traditional AFM analysis methods are hindered significantly by the expertise required from the user alongside slow labour-intensive work. Thus, there is a demand for automated analysis software.
We have developed ‘Topostats’, which is an open-source software aiming to process and analyse raw AFM data and to directly determine the topology of individual DNA molecules. Using this software, we are able to characterise structural properties of circular and linear DNA under different aqueous conditions, to give meaningful insights into their molecular biology. Moreover, we have also shown that via the use of this software we see a large reduction in image processing time and error, setting a benchmark for new AFM image analysis techniques.
| Authors | Harriet Read*, Laura Wiggins, Max Gamill, Sylvia Whittle, Alice Pyne |
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| Keywords | DNA Topology, Atomic Force Microscopy, Automated Analysis Software, Python |
