DNA Supercoiling & Topoisomerase Simulator (2D)
Interactive 2D model of a closed DNA loop obeying Lk = Tw + Wr: a tracking enzyme locally unwinds twist as it moves, forcing the loop to writhe into plectonemic supercoils, and a topoisomerase relieves the strain with a real discrete +/-1 or +/-2 change in linking number per click.
A 2D companion to the 3D DNA supercoiling model: a closed DNA loop drawn flat, obeying the same real topological law Lk = Tw + Wr. A tracking enzyme moving around the loop locally unwinds the duplex, forcing over-winding ahead and under-winding behind — watch the loop itself buckle into tight plectonemic coils as the local twist deficit is genuinely converted into writhe. Click Topo I or Topo II to apply one real discrete catalytic cycle (Δ Lk = ±1 or ±2) and watch the coiling relax immediately. A live check confirms the enzyme's own motion never changes total Lk — only a topoisomerase click does.
Watch a replication fork wind DNA into positive supercoils ahead of it and negative supercoils behind — the twin supercoiled-domain model — then relieve the torsional strain live with Topoisomerase I or Topoisomerase II (gyrase).
2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install