Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 22: Statistical Physics of Biological Systems II (joint session DY/BP)

BP 22.1: Invited Talk

Wednesday, March 11, 2026, 15:00–15:30, ZEU/0114

Learning the statistical folding of bacterial chromosomes — •Chase Broedersz — Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Nertherlands

The physical organization of bacterial chromosomes is inherently variable, with large conformational fluctuations both from cell to cell and over time. Yet, chromosomes must also be structured to facilitate processes such as transcription, replication, and segregation. A physical description of this dynamic statistical folding of bacterial chromosomes remains largely elusive. Hi-C experiments probe chromosome organization by measuring average contact frequencies of chromosomal loci pairs. I will present a principled approach to infer and analyze the dynamic and statistical organization of chromosomes. In particular, we developed a rigorous and fully data-driven 4D Maximum Entropy approach to extract a generative model for the dynamic organization of a replicating bacterial chromosome directly from time-course Hi-C and microscopy data. This data-driven approach aims to unravel the dynamic statistical folding of chromosomes - and its impact on functional processes - in growing and replicating bacteria. Finally, I will discuss how these data-driven inferences can be used to develop mechanistic insights into the contributions of various chromosome segregation mechanisms, including ParABS and loop-extruding SMC complexes. Together, our results illustrate how changes in the geometry and topology of the polymer, induced by DNA-replication and loop-extrusion, impact the organization and segregation of bacterial chromosomes.

Keywords: chromosome organization; date-driven theory; statistical physics of living systems