
DNA in the form of chromosomes is packaged by histones, proteins that help to compact the approximately 2m of DNA in our nuclei into a nuclear space of a few microns in extent. The combination of DNA, and the proteins and RNA which bind to it, is chromatin. I will describe recent theoretical work from my group on models for the architecture of chromatin in the mammalian cell nucleus. These models describe chromatin as "active matter", a term which emphasizes the central role of non-equilibrium (energy-consuming) processes, or "activity". Our results address several long-standing questions in nuclear architecture, among them the large-scale territorial organization of chromosomes and their non-trivial positioning patterns, suggesting a simple, yet general, framework within which they may be understood.

DNA in the form of chromosomes is packaged by histones, proteins that help to compact the approximately 2m of DNA in our nuclei into a nuclear space of a few microns in extent. The combination of DNA, and the proteins and RNA which bind to it, is chromatin. I will describe recent theoretical work from my group on models for the architecture of chromatin in the mammalian cell nucleus. These models describe chromatin as "active matter", a term which emphasizes the central role of non-equilibrium (energy-consuming) processes, or "activity". Our results address several long-standing questions in nuclear architecture, among them the large-scale territorial organization of chromosomes and their non-trivial positioning patterns, suggesting a simple, yet general, framework within which they may be understood.