How DNA Is Folded in the Cell and Why It Matters

DNA is the software that makes every living thing on our planet work. DNA is also a molecule that can be meters in length. So how does it fit inside a cell, and does it matter? Although very long, a DNA molecule is extremely thin, not more than a few water molecules across, which is why it easily fits inside a cell once it's been folded many thousands of times. How it folds is important. Dr. Kondev explains the basic science of how DNA is folded up in viruses and cells and how solving this folding puzzle might affect our understanding of disease and cancer. (from scienceforthepublic.org)

About the Lecturer
Jane Kondev, Ph.D. Professor and Chair, Department of Physics, and HHMI Professor, Brandeis University.