Microbiologists and biophysicists from the University of Bonn and Wageningen University and Research have actually now established a technique that makes the high-throughput procedure for observing particles five times quicker, making it possible for insights to be gotten into hitherto unknown cellular functions.DNA Damage and RepairIf our skin spends too long exposed to UV rays, e.g. from the sun, it can trigger mutations in our DNA, which can possibly lead to cancer.”Damage to our DNA activates molecules that repair it quickly, ideally before the cell divides and the damage spreads,” describes Koen Martens from the Institute for Microbiology and Biotechnology at the University of Bonn. Credit: Volker Lannert/University of BonnBy looking at the gaps between particles and the ranges taken a trip by a single molecule from one picture to another, the scientists can inform whether the particles are moving freely inside the cell or interacting with other particles. As far as DNA repair is concerned, this shows when the enzymes are performing their repair work– i.e. when they are communicating with the DNA– and when they are “idle,” i.e. diffusing freely inside the cell.However, the technique does have one downside: “Its tough to track numerous particles at the exact same time,” Martens describes.
Microbiologists and biophysicists from the University of Bonn and Wageningen University and Research have now established a method that makes the high-throughput process for observing particles five times much faster, enabling insights to be gotten into hitherto unidentified cellular functions.DNA Damage and RepairIf our skin invests too long exposed to UV rays, e.g. from the sun, it can cause mutations in our DNA, which can potentially lead to cancer.”Damage to our DNA triggers particles that repair it rapidly, preferably before the cell divides and the damage spreads,” explains Koen Martens from the Institute for Microbiology and Biotechnology at the University of Bonn. Credit: Volker Lannert/University of BonnBy looking at the gaps between molecules and the distances traveled by a single molecule from one photo to another, the researchers can inform whether the particles are moving easily inside the cell or engaging with other molecules.