Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026

Combining Single-molecule Manipulation and Imaging for the Study of Protein-DNA Interactions
Published on: August 27, 2014
Molecular workbench for imaging and manipulation of single macromolecules and their complexes with the scanning force
1Department of Physics, Humboldt University Berlin, Newtonstr. 15, 12489, Berlin, Germany, rabe@physik.hu-berlin.de.
Abstract:
The structure and properties of single macromolecules are key to understanding function in biologicalmolecular systems, as well as to developing artificial functional systems. In order to systematicallyinvestigate and control the conformations of single macromolecules and their complexes a "molecularworkbench" has been developed. It consists of an atomically flat, inert solid substrate suchas the basal plane of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), coated with a layer of moleculessuch as alkanes or alkyl chains containing amphiphiles that control the interaction between the substrateand adsorbed macromolecules. A scanning force microscope (SFM) operated in tapping or contactmode is used to both image and manipulate the macromolecules to correlate their structure with mechanicalproperties, and to assemble macromolecular systems that would not form spontaneously.
Related Concept Videos
Atomic Force Microscopy
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...
Overview of Microscopy Techniques

