Watching Individual Molecules: Understanding Biology from Stochastic Behavior

It is now possible to image individual proteins acting on single molecules of DNA. Such imaging affords unprecedented interrogation of protein-nucleic acid interactions. Visualization is achieved through the application of two complementary procedures. In one, a single DNA molecule is attached to a polystyrene bead, which is captured in an optical trap. The DNA is extended either by the force of solution flow in a micro-flowcell, or by capturing...