A single-molecule view of protein action at a distance

Decision making as a result of changing environmental conditions is a signature feature of all living organisms. One of the most common ways in which cells implement these decisions is through proteins regulating the process of transcription. An impressive array of quantitative measurements now make it possible to query the transcription process in exquisite detail and as a result have raised the bar on what it means to understand transcription. After giving an overview of the "by the numbers" approach to transcription, I will then highlight a three-pronged strategy for the study of this crucial part of the central dogma based upon theoretical modeling using the tools of statistical mechanics, single-molecule approaches which allow us to watch transcription factors one at a time and single-cell approaches which permit systematic measurements of the level of gene expression for a number of different regulatory architectures.