The Nucleosome as the Hydrogen Atom of Epigenetics

Explore the fascinating parallels between the hydrogen atom and the nucleosome in this 26-minute conference talk by Alexey Onufriev at the Erwin Schrödinger International Institute for Mathematics and Physics. Delve into the structural transitions of nucleosomes, characterized by specific free energy scales, and discover how this framework enhances our understanding of nucleosome function. Learn about the modulation of these energy scales and transitions by external factors, particularly intracellular pH. Uncover the surprising impact of small, biologically relevant variations in intracellular pH on nucleosome stability and their potential biological consequences. Gain insights from this presentation, which was part of the Workshop on "Chromatin Modeling: Integrating Mathematics, Physics, and Computation for Advances in Biology and Medicine" held at ESI in March 2024.