Abstract: The detection and quantitative analysis of single biomolecules, smallest analyte quantities and the hunt for low abundant proteins at the single cell level, require new sensitive and efficient techniques. Over the last 15 years, novel biophysical measurement concepts have been conceived with an offspring of ultrasensitive methods that allow to image, measure, analyze, steer, sort and manipulate individual biomolecules and cells by atomic force microscopy and single molecule force spectroscopy, optical tweezers, as well as micro- and nanofluidic devices.

In my talk I will review our latest results where we control the migration of DNA and DNA-protein complexes in microstructured devices by (di)electrophoresis for separation purposes as well as our working concepts for microintegrated chiral separation. Very similar theoretical concepts hold for nanopore fluidics and corresponding experimental bionanotechnological applications. Here, I will present our results on single-molecule translocation experiments where the mechanics and dynamics of a single dsDNA-protein complex threaded through a solid-state NP was investigated by quantitative 3D-optical tweezers (OT).

Last but not least, single-molecule binding experiments on complex MDa-macromolecules like cell adhesion proteoglycans from marine sponges and knee cartilage will be presented and discussed in the light of multi-cellular integrity and evolution (Cambrian explosion of life) and nanomedicine.

Reference: http://www.physik.uni-bielefeld.de/biophysik/literatur.html

BN Seminar