WELCOME TO THE
CHROMATIN REMODELING LABORATORY (CRL)

The meter long DNA in eukaryotic cells is packaged into a micrometer long cell through interaction with histone and non-histone proteins. The DNA is maximally condensed during metaphase where under electron microscope it can be observed as a thick condensed structure with DNA loops emanating out of a central scaffold.

How is the condensed DNA made accessible?
Chromatin remodeling is the process by which the DNA is made accessible to other proteins during transcription, repair, replication, and recombination. Chromatin remodeling is a dynamic and reversible process. The remodeling process encompasses both ATP-independent as well as ATP-dependent methods. 

My laboratory focuses on ATP-dependent remodeling mediated by the SWI/SNF proteins.

ATP-Dependent Chromatin Remodeling
The ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers use the energy released by ATP hydrolyses to reposition nucleosomes during DNA metabolic processes.  We study this process as mediated by SMARCAL1

Created by: Macmillan Nongkhlaw

Lab Meetings Schedule:
Every Saturday at 10.00 am we meet to discuss our work/research paper. This year we will be discussing classical papers as well as latest papers.  The classical papers, we believe, will give us a perspective of how discoveries were made as well as make us appreciate the methodologies used to make these discoveries.  The tentative schedule for this year is given here.

Resources:

For ATP-dependent remodeling proteins see: www.snf2.net