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Updated: May 30, 2026
Light-driven Molecular Motors on Surfaces for Single Molecular Imaging
Published on: March 13, 2019
Quantum dot labeling strategies to characterize single-molecular motors
Shane R Nelson1, M Yusuf Ali, David M Warshaw
1Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA. snelson@physiology.med.uvm.edu
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Recent advances in single-molecule labeling and detection techniques allow high-resolution imaging of the motion of single molecules. Molecular motors are biological machines that convert chemical energy into mechanical work. Myosin Va (MyoVa) is a well-characterized processive molecular motor, essential for cargo transport in living organisms. Quantum dots (Qdots) are fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals that are extremely useful for single-molecule studies in biological sciences. High-resolution video microscopy and single-particle tracking of a Qdot-labeled MyoVa motor molecule allow the detection of individual steps in vitro and in live cells.
