Tracking a molecular motor with a nanoscale optical encoder.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 20121107.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/nl904192m and PMC identifier 2842186.
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Abstract
Optical encoders are commonly used in macroscopic machines to make precise measurements of distance and velocity by translating motion into a periodic signal. Here we show how Forster resonance energy transfer can be used to implement this technique at the single-molecule scale. We incorporate a series of acceptor dye molecules into self-assembling DNA, and the periodic signal resulting from unhindered motion of a donor-labeled molecular motor provides nanometer-scale resolution in milliseconds.
Medical subject headings
- DNA
- Nanostructures
- Nanotechnology
- Optical Devices
- Transducers