Unraveling cell nucleus structure

Abstract

Cell nucleus stores our genetic information within DNA. It is estimated that about 3.2 billion bases of DNA (around 1 m in length) reside in the nucleus, which is packaged as chromatins. The local structure of chromatin lies the blueprint that dictates everything a cell does. Such small and fascinating structure was not able to be fully resolved under microscope several years ago. With recent advance in super-resolution imaging, this becomes possible. My research looks at those tiny structures at single cell level beyond the diffraction limit. I investigated the dynamic of nucleus structure on cell function with environmental pollution. We discovered that Perfluorooctanoic acid (coating material for non-stick pot) could change the heterochromatin structure, resulting in cancerous cell fate.