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Mark Williams single molecule biophysics lab @williamslabneu.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

New paper in Biophys J! We used optical tweezers to show rhodium chrysi complexes both intercalate matched DNA AND insert into mismatches. One extra aromatic ring transforms the binding mode. Free access 50 days: authors.elsevier.com/a/1moAI1SPTF...

Schematic showing phi (green) and chrysi (red) rhodium complexes approaching a DNA double helix (blue) and intercalating through the major groove. Phi intercalates completely between basepairs, while the larger chrysi ligand intercalates only partially, sitting further from the helical core

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Mark Williams single molecule biophysics lab @williamslabneu.bsky.social · 13/01/2026

How does one protein do two jobs? Our new study shows how phosphorylation changes SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid from irreversibly compacting RNA (for packaging) to fast on/off binding (for replication). Part of a collaboration with the Musier-Forsyth lab at Ohio State. Link: doi.org/10.3390/v18010105

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Mark Williams single molecule biophysics lab @williamslabneu.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

We measured single molecule ssDNA binding by SSB proteins from different systems, E. coli SSB, T4 gene 32, and LINE-1 ORF1p. All showed surprising initial compaction then decompaction. This allows them to dissociate rapidly in response to crowding, as we show in QRB Discovery doi.org/10.1017/qrd....

doi.org

Diverse single-stranded nucleic acid binding proteins enable both stable protection and rapid exchange required for biological function | QRB Discovery | Cambridge Core

Diverse single-stranded nucleic acid binding proteins enable both stable protection and rapid exchange required for biological function - Volume 6

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Mark Williams single molecule biophysics lab @williamslabneu.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

When B DNA is overstretched, it converts to melted DNA or S-DNA. Overstretching has been controversial because the transitions are similar for the two states. With the Westerlund and Wilhelmsson labs, we show in NAR the B-to-S transition is much faster than melting academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

academic.oup.com

Force-induced melting and S-DNA pathways for DNA overstretching exhibit distinct kinetics

Abstract. It is widely appreciated that double stranded DNA (dsDNA) is subjected to strong and dynamic mechanical forces in cells. Under increasing tension

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Mark Williams single molecule biophysics lab @williamslabneu.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

How does the ORF1p perform its multiple functions to facilitate LINE1 retrotransposition? And what enables its ability to also facilitate replication of other retrotransposons? Find out in our newly published paper in Nucleic Acids Research doi.org/10.1093/nar/...

doi.org

L1-ORF1p nucleoprotein can rapidly assume distinct conformations and simultaneously bind more than one nucleic acid

Abstract. LINE-1 (L1) is a parasitic retrotransposable DNA element, active in primates for the last 80–120 Myr. L1 has generated nearly one-third of the hu

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