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Michelle Wang wants to understand how cells keep traffic flowing on their DNA “molecular highways.” Fundamental biological processes require numerous motor proteins and complexes to concurrently occupy locations on DNA; therefore, collisions, congestion, and roadblocks are inevitable. And, DNA is continually restructured, shifting the travel lanes. These diverse changes in traffic flow patterns have consequences that affect genome stability and cellular viability. Research in the Wang lab seeks to elucidate the nature of DNA roadblocks, how DNA motor proteins collide with and navigate through roadblocks, and DNA topology during transcription and replication. Wang and her team develop and use innovative real-time, single-molecule precision measurements to enable novel insights into the complex coordination of cellular machineries and the fundamental role of DNA mechanics and topology.