JOAQUIM ROCA - DNA TOPOLOGY LAB

The DNA topology Lab (IBMB-CSIC) was created in 1997 by Prof. JOAQUIM ROCA, who returned from Harvard University after serving there as Postdoctoral and Research Associate (1998-2006). This laboratory investigates how DNA topology (the twisting, coiling, and entanglement of DNA) interacts with genome architecture and function, and how enzymatic ensembles and motor activities regulate this interaction. To this end, the Roca Lab develops novel methods to assess the topology of intracellular DNA and complements their experimental findings with in vitro and in silico analyses. Seminal contributions of the DNA Topology lab include: -Unravelling the mechanism of type-2 Topoisomerases -Design of 2D-gel electrophoresis to reveal DNA supercoils and knots -Measuring the in vivo DNA supercoiling -Discovery of knots in chromosomal DNA -Dissecting the DNA topology of native nucleosomes -Creating novel genome-wide approaches to assess in vivo DNA topology (Topolomics)