Single Molecular Force
Spectroscopy
Study the mechanical properties
and conformations of individual polymers and proteins
Qiang Fu
Chemistry 373 Seminar
11:50 a.m., 11/25/02, Room 103
Abstract
Mechanical forces
and molecular conformations play very important roles in the function of
biological organisms. Single molecular force spectroscopy offers unprecedented
tools to study those properties in single molecular level. Properties of
individual polysaccharides and bacteriorhodopsins have been studied by single
molecular force spectroscopy and the detailed structures of molecular
conformations have been determined. Moreover, single molecular force
spectroscopy offers a new way to directly measure the strength of single
covalent bonds.
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