Single-Molecule Dynamics in Cells

The Single-Molecule Dynamics in Cells group takes an interdisciplinary approach to solve fundamental questions about how living systems adapt to extreme environments, employing a range of techniques from biophysics, molecular biology, genetics, to computational biology. 

We use super-resolution microscopy and single molecule tracking to record the movement of individual molecules inside individual live cells. Single molecule dynamics report on the molecular interactions in real-time, acting as a probe for the intracellular environment. The research will also contribute to the development of robust synthetic biology applications and novel assay solutions.

If this speaks to you, please send an email with your CV and research interests.

Research Highlights

• J. Mäkelä*, A. Papagiannakis*, W.H. Lin, M.C. Lanz, S. Glenn, M. Swaffer, G.K. Marinov, J.M. Skotheim, C. Jacobs-Wagner (2024) Genome concentration limits cell growth and modulates proteome composition in Escherichia coli. eLife, doi:10.7554/eLife.97465.1
• R. Jagadeesan, S. Dash, C.S.D. Palma, I.S.C. Baptista, V. Chauhan, J. Mäkelä, A.S. Ribeiro (2023) Dynamics of bacterial operons during genome-wide stresses. bioRxiv, doi:10.1101/2023.08.24.554578
• ​​​​J.P. Prince, J.R. Bolla, G.L.M. Fisher, J. Mäkelä, C.V. Robinson, L.K.  Arciszewska, D.J. Sherratt (2021) Acyl Carrier Protein binding to the Escherichia coli MukB coiled coil activates MukB ATPase and is required for in vivo MukBEF function. Nature Communications 12, 6721
• G.L.M. Fisher, J.R. Bolla, K.V. Rajasekar, J. Mäkelä, R. Baker, M. Zhou, J. Prince, M. Stracy, C.V. Robinson, L.K. Arciszewska, D.J. Sherratt (2021) Competitive binding of MatP and topoisomerase IV to the MukB dimerization hinge. eLife, 10:e70444
• J. Mäkelä*, S. Uphoff, D.J. Sherratt* (2021) Non-random segregation of sister chromosomes by Escherichia coli MukBEF. PNAS, 118(33): e2022078118
• J. Mäkelä and D.J. Sherratt (2020) SMC complexes organize the bacterial chromosome by lengthwise compaction. Current Genetics, 66:895–899
• J. Mäkelä and D.J. Sherratt (2020) Organization of the Escherichia coli chromosome by a MukBEF axial core. Molecular Cell, 78(2):250-260
• K.V. Rajasekar, R. Baker, G.L.M. Fisher, J.R. Bolla, J. Mäkelä, M. Tang, K. Zawadzka, O. Koczy, F. Wagner, C.V. Robinson, L.K. Arciszewska, D.J. Sherratt (2019) Dynamic architecture of the Escherichia coli structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) complex, MukBEF. Nucleic Acids Research, 47(18):9696-9707
• A. Hofmann*, J. Mäkelä*, D.J. Sherratt, D. Heermann, S.M. Murray (2019) Self-organised segregation of bacterial chromosomal origins. eLife, 8:e46564          
• N. Banaz*, J. Mäkelä*, S. Uphoff (2019) Choosing the right label for single-molecule tracking in live bacteria: Side-by-side comparison of photoactivatable fluorescent protein and Halo tag dyes. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 52:064002