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Updated: May 1, 2026

High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging of DNA Three-Point-Star Motif Self Assembly Using Photothermal Off-Resonance Tapping
Published on: March 22, 2024
Single-molecule reconstruction of oligonucleotide secondary structure by atomic force microscopy
Alice Pyne1, Ruth Thompson, Carl Leung
1London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, 17-19 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AH, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Based on soft-touch atomic force microscopy, a method is described to reconstruct the secondary structure of single extended biomolecules, without the need for crystallization. The method is tested by accurately reproducing the dimensions of the B-DNA crystal structure. Importantly, intramolecular variations in groove depth of the DNA double helix are resolved, which would be inaccessible for methods that rely on ensemble-averaging.

