Single molecule manipulation and characterization of biomolecules
Project Description
In the interdisciplinary field of chemistry, physics, and biology, single-molecule techniques delineate the individual behavior of molecules, decoding the mysteries of biophysical processes at the most fundamental level. Specifically, we utilize optical tweezers to manipulate a single molecule and apply forces on it to measure the corresponding molecular extensions as well as force responses. The single molecule in extension is characterized by UV-Vis absorption, Raman, and/or fluorescence, yielding spectra that reflect the chemical environment of the molecule’s functional groups, providing molecular-level mechanistic insights.
Supervisor
HUANG Jinqing
Co-Supervisor
HUANG Jinqing
Quota
2
Course type
UROP1000
UROP1100
UROP2100
UROP3100
UROP4100
Applicant's Roles
The applicant is expected to spend time in the research lab for sample preparation, single-molecule pulling experiments, and data analysis.
Applicant's Learning Objectives
1, understand the basic theory of optical tweezers.
2, familiar with basic biological sample preparation and the operation of optical tweezers.
3, learn how to analysis experimental data and explain the experimental results.
Complexity of the project
Challenging