#singlemolecule

[mysticalpeacenut]

Depixus Wins SLAS2024 Ignite Award for MAGNA Technology - Depixus

[jobrxiv]

Postdoc Fellow - Single-molecule biophysics at 2D material interfaces TU Delft Call for postdocs: Do you enjoy #nanoscience, #singlemolecule techniques and #2Dmaterials research? Check out our #ERC postdoc vacancy at #TUDelft See the full job description on jobRxiv: https://jobrxiv.org/job/tu-delft-27778-postdoc-fellow-single-molecule-biophysics-at-2d-material-interfaces/?feed_id=79936 #2D_materials #fluorescence_microscopy #nanophotonics #Single_molecule_imaging #ScienceJobs #hiring #research

[yeshealthplease]

New approach demonstrates at single-molecule scale how a drug interacts with Alzheimer's peptide aggregates

New approach demonstrates at single-molecule scale how a drug interacts with Alzheimer’s peptide aggregates

Single-molecule scale Alzheimer’s peptide aggregates. Credit: Wageningen University & Research Understanding how certain chemicals interact with molecular processes in our body is key to developing effective medications. This certainly holds true for complex neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, for which no effective treatment is available as of yet. Scientists from…

[slimlastforskolins]

Understanding transporter proteins at a single-molecule level -- ScienceDaily

Understanding transporter proteins at a single-molecule level — ScienceDaily

Like a boat helping passengers cross a river, transporters move substances across cell membranes. This process is fundamental to the healthy functioning of cells in life forms from bacteria to humans. The function of these transporters previously had to be inferred from the behavior of hundreds or thousands of them working together. Published today in Nature, new techniques enable the study of…

[zeroviraluniverse-blog]

Observing fluctuations on the single-molecule scale -- ScienceDaily

Visit Now - https://zeroviral.com/observing-fluctuations-on-the-single-molecule-scale-sciencedaily/

Observing fluctuations on the single-molecule scale -- ScienceDaily

Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have developed a technique for analyzing structural and electronic fluctuations on the single-molecule scale across the metal-molecule interface in an organic electronic device. This technique provides information that cannot be obtained using the conventional method, and it has important implications for devices such as organic solar cells.

The organic electronics field is gaining prominence in both academia and industry as devices such as organic light-emitting diodes and solar cells have multiple advantages over conventional inorganic devices, including much lower potential production costs and broader substrate compatibility. These devices incorporate organic molecules and metal components, and one of the major challenges in this field is understanding the charge transport behaviors across the metal-molecule interface. Recently, break junction techniques were developed, wherein the electric current across a single-molecule junction is measured thousands of times. The measurement results are then analyzed statistically to determine the most probable electrical conductance.

The structural and electronic characteristics of a metal-molecule interface strongly influence the charge transport properties of the single-molecule junction. Further, the metal-molecule interface structures and transport properties fluctuate on the single-molecule scale. Unfortunately, the standard analysis technique of conductance measurement cannot elucidate this behavior sufficiently. Scientists at Tokyo Tech have recently developed a comprehensive method for analyzing these fluctuations. Their technique involves combining two methods: current-voltage measurement through break junction experiments and first-principles simulation. It is worth noting that the developed technique provides a correlated statistical description of the molecular orbital-energy level and the electronic coupling degree across a metal-molecule interface, unlike the standard analysis methods typically employed in this field.

The developed analysis method was applied to various single-molecule junctions, i.e., those of 1,4-butanediamine (DAB), pyrazine (PY), 4,4′-bipyridine (BPY), and fullerene (C60), sandwiched by gold electrodes, and the different molecular-dependent electronic and structural fluctuations were demonstrated. The junctions were stretched by up to 10 nm until breaking during the experiments and simulations in order to identify any structural variations; it was found that the electronic coupling between the electrode and molecule decreases with increased stretching. Further, total energy calculations performed as functions of the stretching distance revealed metastable structures in the structural models.

The developed method provides characteristic information about the simple, low-dimensional, and ultra-small charge transport across the metal-molecule interface, which is relevant to the switching functionality and potential manipulation of transport properties. This novel technique and the information it provides have significant implications for future transport property manipulation in electronic devices featuring organic molecules, such as solar cells and light-emitting diodes.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Tokyo Institute of Technology. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

[latesthubnews]

Single-molecule DNA sequencing advances could enable faster, more cost-effective genetic screening -- ScienceDaily

Single-molecule DNA sequencing advances could enable faster, more cost-effective genetic screening — ScienceDaily

University of Colorado Boulder researchers are developing new techniques for faster, more cost-effective single-molecule DNA sequencing that could have transformative impacts on genetic screening, paving the way for advances in vaccine development, early cancer detection and organ transplants.

The new methods — one of which is based in nanoscale quantum electronics and one in optics — could one…

[sciencespies]

Understanding transporter proteins at a single-molecule level

https://sciencespies.com/biology/understanding-transporter-proteins-at-a-single-molecule-level/

Understanding transporter proteins at a single-molecule level

Scott C. Blanchard, PhD, left, Endowed Chair in Molecular Imaging at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Daniel Terry, PhD, of the Blanchard lab, study a molecular image of a transporter protein. Credit: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

More

Like a boat helping passengers cross a river, transporters move substances across cell membranes. This process is fundamental to the healthy functioning of cells in life forms from bacteria to humans. The function of these transporters previously had to be inferred from the behavior of hundreds or thousands of them working together. Published today in Nature, new techniques enable the study of one transporter at a time.

This powerful advance comes into focus if you imagine trying to understand the location, speed and passengers of a particular boat given only the combined statistics for the entire fleet.

“By looking at the activity of single molecules, we have clarified part of the mechanism underlying transporter activity that may prove critical for future research on the many clinically relevant proteins in this family,” said co-corresponding author Scott Blanchard, Ph.D., a member of the St. Jude Department of Structural Biology.

Technique opens new possibilities

This research relied on a technique called single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer or smFRET. The method enables investigators to gather precise measurements of the activity of individual transporters. This leading-edge technique is a powerful tool for studying mechanisms of action as well as mutations implicated in disease. It is available in a handful of laboratories worldwide.

Previous single-molecule techniques had the capacity to measure the the activities of so-called “ion channels” that allow charged particles to rapidly cross cell membranes.

These single-molecule methods revolutionized understanding of channels but were not amenable to transporters due both to the wide variety of transported substances and their relatively slow rates of transport. The new smFRET methods are more useful for a wide variety of transporters.

Transporters, step-by-step

Neurotransmitter: sodium symporters (NSS) are a family of transporter proteins, found most notably in the brain, that move molecules into and out of cells. In humans, NSS for the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine are the targets for nearly all antidepressants. NSS for dopamine are the key targets for amphetamine and cocaine. Understanding this class of proteins and how they function will give novel insights into the mechanisms of these therapeutic and abused drugs and how therapies targeting these transporters can be improved.

The researchers applied smFRET to study a bacterial relative of NSS proteins: the MhsT transporter, which transports amino acids across the cell membrane. The team wanted to understand the slowest part of the transport process, called the rate-limiting step. The researchers were surprised to learn that the rate-limiting step for the MhsT transporter is different for different cargo.

To move molecules through a membrane, transporters change their shape, both to pick up substances on the outside of the cell and to release the substances on the inside. The researchers revealed that the slowest part of the cycle is the process of changing shape back to the outside, when the transporter was thought to be emptiy of some cargoes but not others.

“Since different cargoes have different slow steps, the findings suggest that the ‘return’ step is not empty, but rather fits with other evidence of a secondary binding site on the transporter protein that is key to regulating its activity,” said co-corresponding author Jonathan Javitch, M.D., Ph.D., of Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute.

A better understanding of the functional relevance of this second binding site within the NSS family of proteins will be critical to studying the pharmacology and efficacy of drugs targeting these transporters.

Explore further

Single mutation dramatically changes structure, function of bacteria’s transporter proteins

More information: Quantifying secondary transport at singlemolecule resolution, Nature (2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1747-5 , https://nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1747-5

Provided by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Citation: Understanding transporter proteins at a single-molecule level (2019, November 13) retrieved 13 November 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2019-11-proteins-single-molecule.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

#Biology

[phdpositionsdk]

PhD fellow in Single Molecule Biophysics of Living Cells

PhD fellow in Single Molecule Biophysics of Living Cells

Department of Chemistry Faculty ofScience at University of Copenhagen is offering a PhD scholarship in SingleMolecule Biophysics of Living Cells commencing 01.04.2019 or as soon as possible thereafter. 

  Description of the scientific environment 

Ourlab is developing disruptive technologies to study the biophysical propertiesof membranes and membrane proteins on the nanoscale using…

[ribosome-papers]

An in-vitro tag-and-modify protein sample generation method for singlemolecule FRET.

Pubmed: http://dlvr.it/PZXjNh

[mysticalpeacenut]

Depixus Wins SLAS2024 Ignite Award for MAGNA Technology - Depixus

Paris, France – Interactomics pioneer Depixus has won the prestigious Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) Ignite Award at the society’s annual International Conference and Exhibition in Boston, MA, for their novel MAGNA™ technology. The award coincides with the first showing of Depixus’ ground-breaking MAGNA One™ instrument at the conference.

The Ignite Award recognizes exciting companies providing game-changing technologies for the life sciences. Judged by a panel of experts, participants were scored on excellence in innovation, marketing presence and opportunity, messaging, impact, funding, and balanced leadership.

Depixus was one of just 16 companies selected to participate in the SLAS2024 Innovation AveNEW program – a specially designated area for start-ups and emerging companies within the conference – of which the top eight were shortlisted as finalists for the Ignite Award.

Based on magnetic force spectroscopy, MAGNA One enables  scalable analysis of dynamic biomolecular interactions. This technology is the first to offer direct, simultaneous, and real-time measurements from thousands of individual molecules.

It is particularly useful for exploring challenging targets such as RNA and protein-protein interactions, providing invaluable insights into disease mechanisms and accelerating the development of novel therapeutics.

Depixus CEO Gordon Hamilton says, “We’re thrilled to have won this year’s Ignite Award against such stiff competition and congratulate all the other finalists. This recognition is a great way to celebrate the company we are building, our innovative technology, and its potential to impact the understanding and treatment of diseases where new approaches are urgently needed.”Depixus Wins SLAS2024 Ignite Award for MAGNA Technology, Depixus Chief Commercial Officer Steve Klose added, “The timing of this award aligns perfectly with the launch of our technology access program and commercial rollout of MAGNA One. It’s been an honor to unveil our new instrument to the world at SLAS2024, and we’re excited to see how the scientific community puts it to work to transform research.”

[jobrxiv]

PhD Position - Acoustofluidic Single-molecule Nanosystems TU Delft #PhDvacancy on #nanodevices and #singlemolecule biophysics. Join our interdisciplinary team at #TUDelft in 2023! See the full job description on jobRxiv: https://jobrxiv.org/job/tu-delft-27778-phd-position-acoustofluidic-single-molecule-nanosystems/?feed_id=44210 #ScienceJobs #hiring #research Delft #Netherlands #PhDStudent

[get-knows]

Terahertz spectroscopy enters the single-molecule regime Researchers showed that long-wavelength terahertz (THz) spectroscopy can detect motion of single molecules, not just molecular ensembles.

[gattaquant]

Many thanks to Sam Lord and UCSF. We do some great measurements and have a good time in San Francisco!

[mysticalpeacenut]

Depixus Wins SLAS2024 Ignite Award for MAGNA Technology

Depixus introduces MAGNA™, a groundbreaking technology that utilizes magnetic force spectroscopy to examine biomolecular interactions at the single-molecule level, unlocking a new era in disease research and therapeutic development. MAGNA™ recently won the prestigious SLAS2024 Ignite Award, a testament to its revolutionary potential.

[jobrxiv]

PhD Position - Acoustofluidic Single-molecule Nanosystems TU Delft #PhDvacancy on #nanodevices and #singlemolecule biophysics. Join our interdisciplinary team at #TUDelft in 2023! See the full job description on jobRxiv: https://jobrxiv.org/job/tu-delft-27778-phd-position-acoustofluidic-single-molecule-nanosystems/?feed_id=42572 #ScienceJobs #hiring #research Delft #Netherlands #PhDStudent

[jobrxiv]

PhD Position - Acoustofluidic Single-molecule Nanosystems TU Delft #PhDvacancy on #nanodevices and #singlemolecule biophysics. Join our interdisciplinary team at #TUDelft in 2023! See the full job description on jobRxiv: https://jobrxiv.org/job/tu-delft-27778-phd-position-acoustofluidic-single-molecule-nanosystems/?feed_id=41696 #ScienceJobs #hiring #research Delft #Netherlands #PhDStudent