Single Molecule Probes

Leader: D. Bonnell, MSE
Russ Composto, Rob Carpick, MEAM, Y. Goldman, PHYSIO, A. T. Johnson, PHYS, J. Schotland, BE,MSE

The ability, or inability, to probe behavior at the nanometer/molecular scale limits almost every endeavor involving nanotechnology.  Enabling new scientific discovery, gearing up for manufacturing, determining environmental impact, and evaluating toxicity all rely on manipulating and characterizing structure beyond our current capability.  Recent advances have opened pathways to a new generation of local probes of molecular function that combine optical/electrical/magnetic signals and access dynamic phenomena.  This Cross Cutting Initiative brings together investigators who develop nanoscale measurement tools to produce the next wave of innovation in probes of molecular function and enables research in other research teams within the NBIC.

The strategy is to combine different approaches to probing single molecule properties while realizing synergies of collaborations across fields.  Recent advances include the development of new scanning probe microscopies, combining atomic force microscopy and fluorescence, approaches to 3-D analysis in polarization-resolved total internal reflectance and improved optical tomography.

RESEARCH NUGGETS:

• Directed Positioning and the Mechanical and Electrical Properties of F - Actin
  • Mark Arsenault, Haim Bau, and Yale Goldman
     
• Genes Unleashed
  • K Towles, JF Beausang, PC Nelson, et al.
     
• Parallax View
  • Yujie Sun, Yale E. Goldman
    

past nuggets:

• Electric Tweezers: Positive Dielectrophoresis Based Positioning and Orientation of Nano- and Micro- Sized Particles
  • Brian Edwards, Nader Engheta
     
• Nonlinear Inverse Scattering and Three-Dimensional Near-Field Optical Imaging
  • G. Panasyuk and J. Schotland (University of Pennsylvania) and P.S. Carney (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)
     
• AFM + Fluorescence Microscopy for Single Molecule Biophysics – Initial tests on Ribosomes
  • Yale Goldman, Barry Cooperman, Dennis Discher
     
• Nanoscale Optical Tomography
  • G. Panasyuk and J. Schotland (University of Pennsylvania) and P.S. Carney (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign)
     
• Diamond-hexagonal Semiconductor Nanocones with Controllable Apex Angle
  • L. Cao, L. Laim, B. Nabet & J. E. Spanier (Drexel University); C. Ni (University of Delaware)
     
• Enhanced Raman Scattering from Individual Semiconductor Nanocones and Nanowires
  • L. Cao, B. Nabet & J. E. Spanier (Drexel University)
     
• Entropic Forces in Single-Biomolecule Mechanics
  • Philip Nelson, University of Pennsylvania
     
• Beta-site for AFM-coupled Single Molecule Fluroescence
  • Dennis E. Discher and Yale Goldman
     
• Nanoscale Optical Tomography
  • PI: John C Schotland, MD, PhD