| Popis: |
Fundamental processes of life are carried out within cells by nanometer-scale molecular machines. Understanding how these tiny machines work reveals the basic physical underpinnings of life as well as provides opportunities for technological and medical advances. Single molecule biophysics, including optical tweezers, provides powerful experimental methods allowing us to directly observe the actions of individual molecules in real time. I will present new results from methods that combine two of the most powerful techniques: angstrom-resolution optical tweezers and single molecule fluorescence microscopy. I will describe some of the technical innovations involved in the research including tweezers stability and accuracy advances due to new acousto optic trap positioning device methods. I will then present very recent results where we have been able to perform high-resolution measurements of human telomerase protein machines extending DNA amid folding and unfolding DNA structures. |
