Event
Biochemistry Seminar: Versatile Tools Towards Real-time Single-molecule Biology: From Structure to F
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Atlantic Building, Room 2324
Jason Kahn
jdkahn@umd.edu
Versatile Tools Towards Real-time Single-molecule Biology: From Structure to Function
Jason Lin, Ph.D.
Application Scientist, LUMICKS, 800 South St. Suite 100, Waltham, MA, USA
Essential biological processes ensuring proper cellular metabolism, imperative to life, are performed by proteins interacting with and processing DNA and RNA, amongst other biological matter. In fact, detailed insights into these processes provide essential information for understanding the molecular basis of life and the pathological conditions that develop when such processes go awry. The next scientific breakthrough consists of direct, real-time observations and measurements of the individual mechanisms involved to validate and complete the current biological models. To this end, structural and functional information, which are often indivisible, need to be studied together in real-time and at the molecular level. In this complex context, single-molecule technologies offer an exciting opportunity to meet these challenges. Here, we present our efforts in further enabling discoveries in the field of biology and biophysics. The C-Trap™ technology integrates optical tweezers, confocal/STED microscopy, and an advanced microfluidics system enabling live-correlative visualization and manipulation of molecular interactions with sub-piconewton force resolution and a kilo- to megahertz temporal resolution. The setup can also be integrated with label-free IRM (Interference Reflection Microscopy) and TIRF (Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy) to visualize surface assays such as microtubule and motor-protein interactions. During this seminar, we will present the latest applications of these technologies that can enhance our understanding not only in the field of DNA/RNA-protein interactions and genome organization but also in the fields of protein droplet and aggregation dynamics, molecular motors, protein folding/unfolding, cell mechanics, as well as various other intracellular dynamic processes. These experiments show that the technological advances in hybrid single-molecule methods can be turned into an easy-to-use and stable instrument with the ability to open new venues in many research areas.
