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Single-molecule biophysics

delete2025-09-29
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PRE
AI
M
Mark C. Leake *
DOI:10.1080/00107514.2025.2556579delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Biological molecules, like all active matter, use free energy to generate force and motion which drive them out of thermal equilibrium, and undergo inherent dynamic interconversion between metastable free energy states separated by levels barely higher than stochastic thermal energy fluctuations. Here, we explore the founding and emerging approaches of the field of single-molecule biophysics which, unlike traditional ensemble average approaches, enable the detection and manipulation of individual molecules and facilitate exploration of biomolecular heterogeneity and its impact on transitional molecular kinetics and underpinning molecular interactions. We discuss the ground-breaking technological innovations which scratch far beyond the surface into open questions of real physiology, that correlate orthogonal data types and interplay empirical measurement with theoretical and computational insights, many of which are enabling artificial matter to be designed inspired by biological systems. And finally, we examine how these insights are helping to developnew physicsframed around biology.
Keywords:
Super-resolution
optical tweezers
magnetic tweezers
atomic force microscopy
electron microscopy
molecular dynamics simulations

Journal

C
Contemporary Physics
IF:
3.3
Papers:
994
Citations:
2.4K

Organization

U
University of York
Scholars:
1.2K
Papers: 681
Citations: 2.5W