Manipulating the motion of large neutral molecules
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Hand Controlled Manipulation of Single Molecules via a Scanning Probe Microscope with a 3D Virtual Reality Interface
Published on: October 2, 2016
Jochen Küpper1, Frank Filsinger, Gerard Meijer
1Fritz-Haber-Lnstitut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, 14195 Berlin, Germany. jochen@fhi-berlin.mpg.de
Abstract:
Large molecules have complex potential-energy surfaces with many local minima. They exhibit multiple stereo-isomers, even at very low temperatures. In this paper we discuss the different approaches for the manipulation of the motion of large and complex molecules, like amino acids or peptides, and the prospects of state- and conformer-selected, focused, and slow beams of such molecules for studying their molecular properties and for fundamental physics studies.
Related Concept Videos
The Movement of Organelles and Vesicles
Mechanical Protein Functions
Mechanisms of Membrane-bending
Membrane bending can happen due to intrinsic changes in lipid composition or extrinsic association with different proteins. The proteins involved...
Mechanism of Ciliary Motion
The cilia are made up of microtubules in a 9+2 arrangement, with nine microtubule doublet ring bundles, surrounding a pair of central singlet microtubule bundles. The doublet microtubule bundles are...

