This is the first book solely devoted to single-molecule biochemistry and molecular biology. Authors were selected on the basis of their contribution to this new and exciting field, and were asked to focus more on the biological problems that can be approached using single-molecule techniques rather than on the techniques per se. It is thought that such techniques will eventually dominate the physical characterization of biologically important macromolecules.

Single molecule techniques, including single molecule fluorescence, optical tweezers, and scanning probe microscopy, allow for the manipulation and measurement of single biological molecules within a live cell or in culture. These approaches, amongst the most exciting tools available in biology today, offer powerful new ways to elucidate biological function, both in terms of revealing mechanisms of action on a molecular level as well as tracking the behaviour of molecules in living cells. This book provides the first complete and authoritative treatment of this rapidly emerging field, explicitly from a biological perspective.The contents are organized by biological system or molecule. Each chapter discusses insights that have been revealed about their mechanism, structure or function by single molecule techniques. Among the topics covered are enzymes, motor proteins, membrane channels, DNA, ribozymes, cytoskeletal proteins, and other key molecules of current interest. An introduction by the editor provides a concise review of key principles and an historical overview. The last section discusses applications in molecular diagnostics and drug discovery. - Organized by biological system or molecule - Each chapter discusses insights into mechanism of action, structure, and function - Covers enzymes, motor proteins, membrane channels, DNA, ribozymes, etc - Includes an introduction to key principles and an historical overview - Discusses applications in molecular diagnostics and drug discovery - Provides an expert's perspective on future development

Written by the leading experts in the field, this book describes the development and current state of the art in single molecule spectroscopy. The application of this technique, which started 1989, in physics, chemistry and biosciences is displayed.

A comprehensive volume that brings together authoritative overviews of single molecule science techniques from a biological perspective.

Recent advances in single molecule science have presented a new branch of science: single molecule cellular biophysics, combining classical cell biology with cutting-edge single molecule biophysics. This textbook explains the essential elements of this new discipline, from the state-of-the-art single molecule techniques to real-world applications in unravelling the inner workings of the cell. Every effort has been made to ensure the text can be easily understood by students from both the physical and life sciences. Mathematical derivations are kept to a minimum whilst unnecessary biological terminology is avoided and text boxes provide readers from either background with additional information. 100 end-of-chapter exercises are divided into those aimed at physical sciences students, those aimed at life science students and those that can be tackled by students from both disciplines. The use of case studies and real research examples make this textbook indispensable for undergraduate students entering this exciting field.

Discover the experimental and theoretical developments in optical single-molecule spectroscopy that are changing the ways we think about molecules and atoms The Advances in Chemical Physics series provides the chemical physics field with a forum for critical, authoritative evaluations of advances in every area of the discipline. This latest volume explores the advent of optical single-molecule spectroscopy, and how atomic force microscopy has empowered novel experiments on individual biomolecules, opening up new frontiers in molecular and cell biology and leading to new theoretical approaches and insights. Organized into two parts—one experimental, the other theoretical—this volume explores advances across the field of single-molecule biophysics, presenting new perspectives on the theoretical properties of atoms and molecules. Single-molecule experiments have provided fresh perspectives on questions such as how proteins fold to specific conformations from highly heterogeneous structures, how signal transductions take place on the molecular level, and how proteins behave in membranes and living cells.This volume is designed to further contribute to the rapid development of single-molecule biophysics research. Filled with cutting-edge research reported in a cohesive manner not found elsewhere in the literature, each volume of the Advances in Chemical Physics series serves as the perfect supplement to any advanced graduate class devoted to the study of chemical physics.

The combination of biology and nanotechnology has led to a new generation of nanodevices that make it possible to characterize the chemical, mechanical, and other molecular properties, as well as discover novel phenomena and biological processes occurring at the molecular level. These advances provide science with a wide range of tools for biomedical applications in therapeutic, diagnostic, and preventive medicine. Nanotechnology in Biology and Medicine: Methods, Devices, and Applications integrates interdisciplinary research and recent advances in instrumentation and methods for applying nanotechnology to various areas in biology and medicine. Pioneers in the field describe the design and use of nanobiosensors with various analytical techniques for the detection and monitoring of specific biomolecules, including cancer cells. The text focuses on the design of novel bio-inspired materials, particularly for tissue engineering applications. Each chapter provides introductory material including a description of methods, protocols, instrumentation, and applications, as well as a collection of published data with an extensive list of references. An authoritative reference written for a broad audience, Nanotechnology in Biology and Medicine: Methods, Devices, and Applications provides a comprehensive forum that integrates interdisciplinary research to present the most recent advances in protocols, methods, instrumentation, and applications of nanotechnology in biology and medicine.

This interdisciplinary book gives a comprehensive survey of the state-of-the-art: from applications and trends in fluorescence techniques in science to medicine and engineering. Written for practitioners and researchers in industry and academia, it covers fields like environmental and materials science, biology, medicine, physics and chemistry. Moreover, it reports on such new and breathtaking methods as ultra-fast time-resolved or single molecule spectroscopy, gives examples of applications in the fields of electroluminescent polymers, visualization of membrane potentials in neurons and fluorescence imaging of the brain.

The nanopore provides a highly electrochemically confined space within which single-molecule characteristics can be efficiently converted into measurable electrochemical signatures with high temporal and current resolution. Aimed at developing the concept of the electrochemical confined space in analysing single molecules, this book serves as a stepping-stone to many exciting discoveries in nanopore-based analysis of biological processes and chemical reactions in confined space. The field of nanopore sensors is growing rapidly, but there have been no new books on nanopore technology that provide an overview of the research on nanopore-based sensing until now. The book provides a good source of nanopore studies for researchers interested in and working in the general areas of electrochemistry and nanobiotechnology, especially on nanopore sensors.

The concept of molecular machines in biology has transformed the medical field in a profound way. Many essential processes that occur in the cell, including transcription, translation, protein folding and protein degradation, are all carried out by molecular machines. This volume focuses on important molecular machines whose architecture is known and whose functional principles have been established by tools of biophysical imaging (X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy) and fluorescence probing (single-molecule FRET). This edited volume includes contributions from prominent scientists and researchers who understand and have explored the structure and functions of these machines. This book is essential for students and professionals in the medical field who want to learn more about molecular machines.