Chromatin, rather than plain DNA, is the natural substrate of the molecular machines that mediate DNA-directed processes in the nucleus. Chromatin can be reconstituted in vitro by using different methodologies. The salt dialysis method yields chromatin that consists of purified histones and DNA. This biochemically pure chromatin is well-suited for a wide range of applications. Here, we describe simple and straightforward protocols for the reconstitution of chromatin by stepwise salt dialysis and the analysis of the chromatin by the micrococcal nuclease (MNase) digestion assay. Chromatin that is reconstituted with this method can be used for efficient homology-directed repair (HDR)-mediated gene edited with the CRISPR-Cas9 system as well as for biochemical studies of chromatin dynamics and

Neurotropic reoviruses repurpose host machinery to traffic over long distances in neuronal processes and access distal replication sites. Understanding mechanisms of neuronal transmission is facilitated by using simplified in vitro primary neuronal culture models. Advances in the design of compartmentalized microfluidic devices lend robustness to neuronal culture models by enabling compartmentalization and manipulation of distinct neuronal processes. Here, we describe a streamlined methodology to culture sensory neurons dissociated from dorsal root ganglia of embryonic rats in microfluidic devices. We further describe protocols to exogenously label reovirus and image, track, and analyze transport of single reovirus particles in living neurons. These techniques can be adapted to study