title: Identifying discrete states of a biological system using a novel step detection algorithm.
abstract: Identification of discrete states is a common task when studying biological systems on microscopic scales. Here, we present a novel step detection algorithm that is ideally suited to locate steplike features separating adjacent plateaus, even if they are smooth and hidden by noise. It can be adjusted to detect very low or narrow steps that cannot be recognized by conventional methods. We demonstrate the applicability of the technique on various experimental data and show strong evidence of sub-10-pN steps in atomic force spectroscopy measurements performed with living lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Experimentelle Physik, Universität Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Opfer
authors.forename: Kay-Eberhard
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Gottschalk
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D006801:Humans; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D016547:Kinesins / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D016547:Kinesins