The collective biology of the gene: Towards genetic dynamics engineering

Chromatin dynamics is studied in terms of coupled vibrations (phonon pairing); this is shown to lead to a collective variable Δ, interpreted as a gene inhibition factor, which behaves as a biological switch turned off, not only by enzymatic action or metabolic energy, but also by means of an external probe:irradiation. We discuss the inactivation of the X chromosome and puffing. The relevance of being able to modulate Δ is emphasized, since it is equivalent to controlling chromatin dynamics without interfering with chromatin structure, unlike in the usual recombinant DNA techniques. (author)