Single Molecule Analysis

Book excerpt: Life scientists believe that life is driven, directed, and shaped by biomolecules working on their own or in concert. It is only in the last few decades that technological breakthroughs in sensitive fluorescence microscopy and single-molecule manipulation techniques have made it possible to observe and manipulate single biomolecules and measure their individual properties. The methodologies presented in Single Molecule Techniques: Methods and Protocols are being applied more and more to the study of biologically relevant molecules, such as DNA, DNA-binding proteins, and motor proteins, and are becoming commonplace in molecular biophysics, biochemistry, and molecular and cell biology. The aim of Single Molecule Techniques: Methods and Protocols is to provide a broad overview of single-molecule approaches applied to biomolecules on the basis of clear and concise protocols, including a solid introduction to the most widely used single-molecule techniques, such as optical tweezers, single-molecule fluorescence tools, atomic force microscopy, magnetic tweezers, and tethered particle motion. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyTM series format, chapters contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and accessible, Single Molecule Techniques: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide to scientists of all backgrounds and provides a broad and thorough overview of the exciting and still-emerging field of single-molecule biology.