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Updated: Jul 6, 2026
10:59
Visualizing the Conformational Dynamics of Membrane Receptors Using Single-Molecule FRET
Published on: August 17, 2022
Conformational dynamics for chemical sensing: simplicity and diversity
Justin A Riddle1, Xuan Jiang, Dongwhan Lee
1Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 East Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
The Analyst
|March 28, 2008
Summary
Dynamic molecular sensors switch between conformations for chemical detection. This review showcases diverse, simple-to-operate, shape-adaptive sensors for signal transduction.
Area of Science:
- Chemical Sensing
- Molecular Engineering
- Supramolecular Chemistry
Background:
- Dynamic chemical architectures exhibit stable conformations.
- Conformational switching can serve as a signal transduction mechanism.
- Molecular sensors are crucial for detecting chemical species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight emerging shape-adaptive molecular sensors.
- To showcase sensors with simple operating principles.
- To illustrate diversity in structural designs for molecular sensors.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on shape-adaptive molecular sensors.
- Analysis of sensor operating principles.
- Categorization of structural designs.
Main Results:
- Selected examples of shape-adaptive molecular sensors are presented.
- Sensors demonstrate controllable switching between conformations.
- Diverse structural designs are observed despite simple operating principles.
Conclusions:
- Shape-adaptive molecular sensors offer a potent platform for chemical sensing.
- The field is characterized by structural diversity and operational simplicity.
- Exploiting conformational switching is key for signal transduction in these sensors.
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