Switching DNA functions on and off by means of light

Happy about the publication: Andrea Rentmeister, Nils Klöcker and Nicolas Cornelissen ( from left ). AG Rentmeister DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the basis of life on earth. The function of DNA is to store all the genetic information, which an organism needs to develop, function and reproduce. It is essentially a biological instruction manual found in every cell. Biochemists at the University of Münster have now developed a strategy for controlling the biological functions of DNA with the aid of light. This enables researchers to better understand and control the different processes which take place in the cell - for example epigenetics, the key chemical change and regulatory lever in DNA. The results have been published in the journal "Angewandte Chemie'.