This book focuses on recent advances in the rapidly evolving field of single molecule research. These advances are of importance for the investigation of biopolymers and cellular biochemical reactions, and are essential to the development of quantitative biology. Written by leading experts in the field, the articles cover a broad range of topics, including quantum photonics of organic dyes and inorganic nanoparticles and monitoring of single molecule (enzymatic) reactions.
This book focuses on recent advances in the rapidly evolving field of single molecule research. These advances are of importance for the investigation of biopolymers and cellular biochemical reactions, and are essential to the development of quantitative biology. Written by leading experts in the field, the articles cover a broad range of topics, including quantum photonics of organic dyes and inorganic nanoparticles and monitoring of single molecule (enzymatic) reactions.
Single-molecule studies constitute a distinguishable category of focused - search in nanoscience and nanotechnology. This book is dedicated to the - troduction of recent advances on single-molecule studies. It will be illustrated that studying single molecules is both intellectually and technologically ch- lenging, and also o?ers vast potential in opening up new scienti?c frontiers. We wish to present the readers with several di?erent techniques for studying single molecules, such as electron-tunneling methods, interaction-force m- surement techniques, optical spectroscopy, plus a number of directions where further progress could be pursued. We hope the work may assist the readers, especially graduate students and those who wish to explore single molecules, to become familiarized with the pace of the progress in this ?eld and the relevant primary techniques. Due to limitation of space, we are not able to elaborate on the technical details of all of the experimental methods that are vital in single molecule studies, so introductions to only selected experimental methods are touched in the context. Since the technical details and theoretical analysis of these techniqueshavealreadybeenthoroughlycoveredinmanyliteratures,weonly provide introductions to the basic principles of the detection techniques here, and focus on their experimental achievements in the area of single-molecule studies. These techniques have proven to be highly e?ective when indep- dently used. The combinationof those techniques could lead to further - vances in the detection capabilities.
This book provides an interesting snapshot of recent advances in the field of single molecule nanosensing. The ability to sense single molecules, and to precisely monitor and control their motion is crucial to build a microscopic understanding of key processes in nature, from protein folding to chemical reactions. Recently a range of new techniques have been developed that allow single molecule sensing and control without the use of fluorescent labels. This volume provides an overview of recent advances that take advantage of micro- and nanoscale sensing technologies and provide the prospect for rapid future progress. The book endeavors to provide basic introductions to key techniques, recent research highlights, and an outlook on big challenges in the field and where it will go in future. It is a valuable contribution to the field of single molecule nanosensing and it will be of great interest to graduates and researchers working in this topic.
Carbon based pi-conjugated materials offer a broad range of applications, going from molecular electronics and single molecule devices to nanotechnology, plastic electronics and optoelectronics. The proper physical description of such materials is in between that of molecular solids and that of low-dimensional covalent semiconductors. This book is a comprehensive review of their elementary excitations processes and dynamics, which merges the two viewpoints, sometimes very different if not contrasting. In each chapter, a broad tutorial introduction provides a solid physical background to the topic, which is further discussed based on recent experimental results obtained via state-of-the-art techniques. Both the molecular, intra-chain character and the solid state, inter-molecular physics is addressed. Reports on single molecule and single polymer chain spectroscopy introduce the on-site phenomena. Several chapters are dedicated to nano-probes, steady state and transient spectroscopies. The highly ordered state, occurring in single crystals, is also discussed thoroughly. Finally, less conventional tools such as THz spectroscopy are discussed in detail. The book provides a useful introduction to the field for newcomers, and a valid reference for experienced researchers in the field.
I describe a system for measuring and manipulating single molecules using a solid state nanopore, a small hole in an insulating film fashioned using solid-state Silicon processing techniques. In this work, pores less than 10 nanometers in diameter in 20-30 nm thick Silicon Nitride membranes are used to join two reservoirs of salt water. DNA molecules added to one reservoir are forced through the nanopore by an applied voltage bias. Single molecules of DNA are detected passing through the pore by a blockage of the ionic current between the reservoirs. The depth and duration of the current blockages reveal information about the molecule's geometry while the shape of the blockage depends on the molecule's conformation. If the driving voltage is reversed soon after a molecule has passed through the nanopore, the same molecule can be "recaptured," induced to pass through the pore a second time. This process reveals information about the dynamics of the molecule outside of and its interaction with the nanopore. The recapture process can be repeated multiple times to form a single molecule trap.
Written by the leading experts of this field, this book results from the International Symposium on “Single Molecule Machines on a Surface: Gears, Train of Gears, Motors, and Cars” which took place in Toulouse, France on November 24th - 25th, 2021. The different chapters focus on describing the use of single molecule mechanics on a surface and analyze the different steps leading to the design of a single molecule nanocar. The authors present how a single molecule is rotating, how a single molecule gear can participate to a train of molecule gears to propagate motion and how this knowledge is used for the design of nanocars. The way energy is provided to a single molecule and how this energy drives it onto the surface is also analyzed. A large portion of this volume is written by the eight teams selected to participate in the Nanocar Race II event. This book is of great use to graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and researchers who are interested in single molecule mechanics and who want to know more about the fundamentals and applications of this new research field.
This handbook describes experimental techniques to monitor and manipulate individual biomolecules, including fluorescence detection, atomic force microscopy, and optical and magnetic trapping. It includes single-molecule studies of physical properties of biomolecules such as folding, polymer physics of protein and DNA, enzymology and biochemistry, single molecules in the membrane, and single-molecule techniques in living cells.
An increasing number of technologies are being used to detect minute quantities of biomolecules and cells. However, it can be difficult to determine which technologies show the most promise for high-sensitivity and low-limit detection in different applications. Microfluidics and Nanotechnology: Biosensing to the Single Molecule Limit details proven approaches for the detection of single cells and even single molecules—approaches employed by the world’s foremost microfluidics and nanotechnology laboratories. While similar books concentrate only on microfluidics or nanotechnology, this book focuses on the combination of soft materials (elastomers and other polymers) with hard materials (semiconductors, metals, and glass) to form integrated detection systems for biological and chemical targets. It explores physical and chemical—as well as contact and noncontact—detection methods, using case studies to demonstrate system capabilities. Presenting a snapshot of the current state of the art, the text: Explains the theory behind different detection techniques, from mechanical resonators for detecting cell density to fiber-optic methods for detecting DNA hybridization, and beyond Examines microfluidic advances, including droplet microfluidics, digital microfluidics for manipulating droplets on the microscale, and more Highlights an array of technologies to allow for a comparison of the fundamental advantages and challenges of each, as well as an appreciation of the power of leveraging scalability and integration to achieve sensitivity at low cost Microfluidics and Nanotechnology: Biosensing to the Single Molecule Limit not only serves as a quick reference for the latest achievements in biochemical detection at the single-cell and single-molecule levels, but also provides researchers with inspiration for further innovation and expansion of the field.
This consistent and systematic review of recent advances in optical antenna theory and practice brings together leading experts in the fields of electrical engineering, nano-optics and nano-photonics, physical chemistry and nanofabrication. Fundamental concepts and functionalities relevant to optical antennas are explained, together with key principles for optical antenna modelling, design and characterisation. Recognising the tremendous potential of this technology, practical applications are also outlined. Presenting a clear translation of the concepts of radio antenna design, near-field optics and field-enhanced spectroscopy into optical antennas, this interdisciplinary book is an indispensable resource for researchers and graduate students in engineering, optics and photonics, physics and chemistry.
