Inference of the DNA Replication Process in Human Genomes

Synopsis

In almost all organisms, genetic information is stored in DNA molecules. Replication of DNA is nature's way of copying information and is an essential part of life. In the human genome, this process occurs at a rate of roughly 100,000 bases per second inside a nucleus having a diameter of about 1 μm, which is remarkable. To understand this process, experimental techniques have been developed since the 1980s, and they are still developing. These tools have enabled us to understand the kinetics of the replication process in bacteria and yeast, but not yet in humans. In this talk, I will describe how a new experimental technique, called Optical Replication Mapping (ORM), might be a good candidate for understanding the replication process in the human genome. I will discuss my efforts to use stochastic modelling of experimental data to find a model for describing the kinetics of human DNA replication process