An application of mathematics to the field of molecular biology is introduced. More
specifically, how knot theory can be used to model DNA recombination is explained.
DNA is a long, thin molecule found tightly packed inside the nucleus of a cell. As a
result of the tight packing in such a confined space the DNA becomes tangled and
knotted inside the cell. Thus, the molecules must be topologically manipulated in order
for vital life processes to take place. Nature’s answer to the tangling problem is enzymes.
Enzymes play an important roll in affecting the topology of DNA. One way an enzyme
may act on DNA is by a process called site-specific recombination. This paper will
discuss the tangle model for site-specific recombination.