Probing the relationship between the structure and function of biological macromolecules, one molecule at a time.
Proteins and nucleic acids are fundamentally important to life. As enzymes, switches, chaperones and structural elements they perform an essential role in all living organisms.
A biological macromolecule’s structure defines its biological function within a cell, however, function is a dynamical process. Therefore, to understand how a biological macromolecule functions, we must also understand how it moves.
Using single-molecule measurements of proteins and nucleic acids, it is possible to directly observe and manipulate their motions, and to study how these are influenced by interactions with other molecules.