For the first time, scientists at the University of California, Davis have imaged the replication of a single DNA molecule. Replication of genetic material occurs in all known living organisms and is the basis of biological inheritance.
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is made up of two complementary strands of nucleotides acids famously structured as a double helix. Prior to replication, an enzyme called helicase unwinds the DNA double helix into two separate strands (ssDNA). DNA polymerase enzymes then bind to each ssDNA and begin replicating the complement to form two copies of the genetic material.
In order to visualize the replication of individual DNA molecules, scientists used a circular piece of DNA attached to a glass slide in a flow chamber. As the replication enzymes proceed around the circle, the resulting copy gets longer and longer. By adding a fluorescent dye that only binds to double-stranded DNA, it becomes possible to visualize the growing molecule using a high-resolution optical microscope.
Source: https://goo.gl/7RLDjK (UC Davis)
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