Biophysics of single molecules

• Published in: Biophysics (Oxford) Vol. 56; no. 5; pp. 858 - 882
• Main Authors: Serdyuk, I. N., Deryusheva, E. I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht SP MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica 01-10-2011; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analysis of Single Nanosystems; Biological and Medical Physics; Biophysics; Molecular biology; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; biophysics; single molecules
• ISSN: 0006-3509; 1555-6654
• DOI: 10.1134/S0006350911050186

The modern methods of research on biological molecules which have led to the development of a new field of science, biophysics of single molecules, are reviewed. The measurement of the characteristics of single molecules enables one to reveal their individual features, and it is just for this reason that much more information can be obtained from one molecule than from the entire ensemble of molecules. The high sensitivity of the methods considered in detail makes it possible to come close to solving the basic problem of practical importance, namely, the determination of the nucleotide sequence of a single DNA molecule.