Single-molecule studies can reveal key molecular behaviours that are difficult or impossible to discern at the ensemble level. At the ISMB Biophysics Centre, we are planning trials of new, user-friendly instruments that enable the measurement of protein localisation, conformation, mass and force at the single-molecule level.
If your research would benefit from any of these technologies, please contact us. As well as yielding preliminary data for your research, your samples could help to win funding to bring these instruments to the Biophysics Centre on a permanent basis.
The three instruments that will be trialled are:
- A Nanoimager: a user-friendly super-resolution microscope (https://oni.bio/) for cellular imaging, particle tracking (for diffusion or active transport) or single-molecule FRET studies.
- An interferometric scattering mass spectrometer (iSCAMS) (https://www.aragobio.com/), that uses light scattering to determine the macromolecular weight of single particles. This is a powerful way of determining the oligomeric state or composition of protein complexes for structural biology projects, with very limited sample requirements (only tens of nM and microliters required).
- A combined optical tweezer and single-molecule imaging setup (https://lumicks.com/) for detailed mechanistic studies of forces and kinetics.
For informal enquires, do not hesitate to contact Tina Daviter (t.daviter@mail.cryst.bbk.ac.uk) or Mark Williams (m.williams@mail.cryst.bbk.ac.uk). Other ISMB members with experience/interest in these areas who are happy to discuss are: Alan Lowe (a.lowe@ucl.ac.uk), Phil Robinson (p.robinson@mail.cryst.bbk.ac.uk) and Anthony Roberts (a.roberts@mail.cryst.bbk.ac.uk
– Dr Tina Daviter
