A nanomechanical interface to rapid single-molecule interactions
Open Access
- 22 March 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Nature Communications
- Vol. 2 (1), 247
- https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms1246
Abstract
Single-molecule techniques provide opportunities for molecularly precise imaging, manipulation, assembly and biophysical studies. Owing to the kinetics of bond rupture processes, rapid single-molecule measurements can reveal novel bond rupture mechanisms, probe single-molecule events with short lifetimes and enhance the interaction forces supplied by single molecules. Rapid measurements will also increase throughput necessary for technological use of single-molecule techniques. Here we report a nanomechanical sensor that allows single-molecule force spectroscopy on the previously unexplored microsecond timescale. We probed bond lifetimes around 5 μs and observed significant enhancements in molecular interaction forces. Our loading-rate-dependent measurements provide experimental evidence for an additional energy barrier in the biotin–streptavidin complex. We also demonstrate quantitative mapping of rapid single-molecule interactions with high spatial resolution. This nanomechanical interface may allow studies of molecular processes with short lifetimes and development of novel biological imaging, single-molecule manipulation and assembly technologies.Keywords
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