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1 - Introduction on Single-Molecule Science

from Part I - Super-Resolution Microscopy and Molecular Imaging Techniques to Probe Biology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 May 2022

By
Krishnarao Appasani  and
Raghu K. Appasani
Edited by
Krishnarao Appasani  and
Raghu Kiran Appasani
Krishnarao Appasani
Affiliation:
GeneExpression Systems, Inc.
Raghu Kiran Appasani
Affiliation:
Psychiatrist, Neuroscientist, & Mental Health Advocate
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Summary

Classical chemistry and biochemistry experiments in solution measure the properties of many molecules and/or interrogate them simultaneously – these are called ensemble measurements and tend to mask the underlying molecular dynamics. Studies at single-molecule level provide random, stochastic dynamics, and allow access to an incredible wealth of molecular information. Most importantly, previously “unanswerable” questions in the physical, chemical, and biological sciences can now be answered. The field of single-molecule science (SMS) can be roughly divided into two general areas: (1) improvements in single-molecule methodologies (technology development); and (2) use of these methodologies to address important scientific questions in fundamental biological research (applied research). Over the past decades, single-molecule research has fostered excellent collaboration and interdisciplinary research with input from biology, chemistry, and physics.

Type
Chapter
Information
Single-Molecule Science
From Super-Resolution Microscopy to DNA Mapping and Diagnostics
 , pp. 3 - 19
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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