Biology, one molecule at a time.
Single-molecule techniques have moved from being a fascinating curiosity to a highlight of life science research. The single-molecule approach to biology offers distinct advantages over the conventional approach of taking bulk measurements; this additional information content usually comes at the cost of the additional complexity. Popular single-molecule methods include optical and magnetic tweezers, atomic force microscopy, tethered particle motion and single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy; the complement of these methods offers a wide range of spatial and temporal capabilities. These approaches have been instrumental in addressing important biological questions in diverse areas such as protein-DNA interactions, protein folding and the function(s) of membrane proteins.
Kapanidis
Achillefs N
AN
Department of Physics and Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration in Bionanotechnology, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. a.kapanidis1@physics.ox.ac.uk
Strick
Terence
T
D001695:Biology / Q000379:methods*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008954:Models, Biological; D052898:Optical Tweezers; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence