Modesto Orozco

Distinguished by ISQBP with the Award in Computational Biology Award

IRB Barcelona, Spain

A Journey Through DNA

Abstract

DNA is the carrier of genetic information and perhaps the molecule that best defines life as we know it. Yet, for me, it is something more: a fascinating physical problem in which multiple time and length scales coexist. In DNA, biology emerges from a myriad of sub-ångström details that ultimately map onto a meter-long molecular fiber. Approaching DNA from the perspective of physics requires integrating multiple levels of resolution within a coherent framework. This is a formidable challenge: it demands navigating across different physical models while incorporating experimental measurements at the core of theoretical and computational approaches. In this talk, I will summarize our experience over several decades developing tools to simulate nucleic acids, with special emphasis on DNA. I will also share my enthusiasm for how the next generation of methods may allow us to decipher, with increasing clarity, the fundamental molecular principles underlying life.