The Individual Molecules: Manipulation and Visualization Laboratory conducts research at the frontier of knowledge on bacterial transcription. Focusing on the interactions of RNA polymerase and DNA at the initiation and elongation levels, they seek to decipher the relationship between the physical properties of DNA, its contacts with protein, and the action of gene expression regulators. Among the techniques available, they use optical tweezers to manipulate individual molecules, purify recombinant M. tuberculosis RNA polymerase enzyme, detect transcription activity in vitro using fluorescence and radioactive nucleotide detection, and in culture using flow cytometry. The laboratory also conducts research on protein folding and stability, using optical tweezers to pull individual proteins and monitor their reversible denaturation or changes in their interactions. Thanks to years of experience studying the biophysics of bacterial transcription, we are now developing applied research using synthetic biology of bacteria for various processes of biomedical or industrial interest. Bacterial gene expression regulatory circuits are exploited in the design and detection of new Mycobacterium tuberculosis RNA polymerase inhibitors for biomedical purposes.