DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

Professor Marko works on the application of statistical mechanics and polymer physics to biophysical problems, and in particular to micromechanical studies of DNA, DNA-protein interactions, and chromosome structure. At present Prof. Marko's research group carries out both experimental and theoretical research.

Awards and Honors

• NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award

Selected Publications

• Bai H, Sun M, Ghosh P, Hatfull GF, Grindley ND, Marko JF.
  Single-molecule analysis reveals the molecular bearing mechanism of DNA strand exchange by a serine recombinase.
  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 108, 7419-24 (2011)
• D. Skoko, J. Yan, R. C. Johnson, and J.F. Marko
  Low-Force DNA Condensation and Discontinuous High-Force Decondensation Reveal a Loop-Stabilizing Function of the Protein Fis
  Physical Review Letters 95, 208101 (2005)
• J. Yan, R. Kawamura, and J. F. Marko
  Statistics of Loop Formation along Double Helix DNAs
  Physical Review E71, 061905 (2005)
• J. F. Marko and S. Cocco
  The Micromechanics of DNA
  Physics World 16, No.3, p 37 (2003)
• M. G. Poirier and J. F. Marko
  Mitotic Chromosomes are Chromatin Networks Without an Internal Protein Scaffold
  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 99, 15393 (2002)
• Link to PubMed listing of Marko publications