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Ask the Expert is a forum for scientists at all stages of their careers to ask questions of leading researchers in the field of chemical biology about the techniques their labs use and the types of research they are now doing. Updates will be posted weekly to this website, so check back frequently for new answers.
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Single-molecule biophysics
Associate Professor of Physics
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Taekjip Ha is interested in using physical concepts and experimental techniques to study fundamental questions in molecular biology. His laboratory’s main experimental tool is single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy, supported by nano-mechanical tools such as magnetic and optical tweezers. To learn more about Taekjip Ha and his research, please see his Profile in Volume 1, Issue 12. |
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It seems that a lot of "molecular machines" have been studied by the single molecule techniques. What machines do you see as the next challenges for these techniques?
I can think of the following machineries.
- Replication initiation
- Splicesome
- Eukaryotic translation including initiation and elongation
- RNA-based regulation: Dicer, RISC, Drosha, Hfq, etc.
- Kineticore
....more
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It seems that the best papers on single molecule studies come out of just a few labs. Is this because the set-up is extremely expensive or because the techniques are just very new and haven't expanded into a wider realm?
I think your observation that there are relatively few groups producing bulk of the highly visible papers is probably valid. The reason is most likely due to the fact the field is still very new and as in any new field, there is a substantially lag between the realization that certain experim....more
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What is your comment on the efforts on statistical analysis of single-molecule data, e.g., kinetic model building for protein unfolding/folding?
A very interesting question! I used to hold the opinion that experimental data should speak on its own and the best single molecule results should not require sophisticated theoretical analysis to be appreciated. After all, the appeal of this field was, and still is, that the results are so d....more
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