We are interested primarily on the mechanisms of molecular motors that transport DNA in and between bacteria and in the mechanisms of DNA organization in higher eukaryots. DNA motors use the enerygy of ATP hydrolysis to processively translocate DNA between cellular compartments or within different cells, and belong to the large and diverse AAA+ family of enzymes. AAA+ motors form multimeric rings in which ATP hydrolysis and mechanical work are closely coupled.

We are currently investigating DNA transport in during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. To tackle this problem, we are developing and using state-of-the-art single-molecule and microscopy techniques in vitro, to benefit from the unique detailed mechanistic insights obtained with reconstituted systems, and in vivo to fit our findings into the larger picture and find interaction partners that might be implicated in the process of DNA transfer. Our integrative approach involves the use of single-molecule manipulation (magnetic and optical tweezers) and imaging methods, such as Atomic Force Microscopy or super-resolution microscopy).

Our second research subject is the study of the higher-order structure of eukaryotic chromosomes and their impact on transcription. Specifically, we investigate chromatin insulators, factors that set up boundaries between heterochromatin and euchromatin and generate long-range loops. Our project aims at unravelling the mechanism by which insulators dynamically regulate chromatin structure and transcription by using single-molecule biophysics and quantitative modeling.