Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 11, 2026
07:11
Fully Autonomous Characterization and Data Collection from Crystals of Biological Macromolecules
Published on: March 22, 2019
7.3K
Quantitative mass imaging of single biological macromolecules
Gavin Young1, Nikolas Hundt1, Daniel Cole1
1Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, UK.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|April 28, 2018
Summary
Interferometric scattering microscopy precisely measures single biomolecule mass in solution. This technique reveals molecular interactions, dynamics, and distributions for proteins, lipids, and sugars.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry and Biophysics
- Structural Biology
- Molecular Dynamics
Background:
- Cellular functions rely on proteins and their complex interactions.
- Analyzing protein structural and dynamic heterogeneity is challenging for current methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and apply a novel microscopy technique for single biomolecule analysis.
- To overcome limitations in characterizing molecular heterogeneity and dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized interferometric scattering microscopy to quantify the mass of single biomolecules in solution.
- Achieved high accuracy (2% sequence mass accuracy), resolution (19-kilodalton), and precision (1-kilodalton).
Main Results:
- Resolved oligomeric distributions across a high dynamic range.
- Detected binding of small molecules to proteins.
- Successfully mass-imaged proteins with associated lipids and sugars.
Conclusions:
- Interferometric scattering mass spectrometry enables detailed characterization of diverse molecular processes.
- This method allows spatiotemporally resolved measurements of biomolecular interactions at the single-molecule level.
Related Concept Videos
01:28ATP and Macromolecule Synthesis
7.0K
Biological macromolecules are organic compounds, predominantly composed of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are covalently bonded with hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and other minor elements. There are four major biological macromolecule classes: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
Most macromolecules are composed of single subunits, or building blocks, called monomers. The monomers combine with each other using covalent bonds to form larger molecules known as polymers.
Conversion of...
Most macromolecules are composed of single subunits, or building blocks, called monomers. The monomers combine with each other using covalent bonds to form larger molecules known as polymers.
Conversion of...
7.0K
01:18Imaging Biological Samples with Optical Microscopy
11.0K
Optical microscopy uses optic principles to provide detailed images of samples. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek designed the first compound optical microscope in the 17th century to visualize blood cells, bacteria, and yeast cells. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes with enhanced magnification and resolution.
In optical microscopy, the specimen to be viewed is placed on a glass slide and clipped on the stage...
In optical microscopy, the specimen to be viewed is placed on a glass slide and clipped on the stage...
11.0K
01:52Atomic Mass
70.5K
Atoms — and the protons, neutrons, and electrons that compose them — are extremely small. For example, a carbon atom weighs less than 2 × 10−23 g. When describing the properties of tiny objects such as atoms, we use appropriately small units of measure, such as the atomic mass unit (amu). The amu was originally defined based on hydrogen, the lightest element, then later in terms of oxygen. Since 1961, it has been defined with regard to the most abundant isotope of carbon, atoms of which...
70.5K
01:57What is Conservation Biology?
24.4K
Conservation biology is a scientific field that focuses on the preservation of biodiversity in order to protect ecosystems while meeting the needs of the human population. Humans require properly functioning ecosystems to maintain our supply of natural resources, including food, medicines, and building materials.
24.4K
02:59Biological Effects of Radiation
18.1K
All radioactive nuclides emit high-energy particles or electromagnetic waves. When this radiation encounters living cells, it can cause heating, break chemical bonds, or ionize molecules. The most serious biological damage results when these radioactive emissions fragment or ionize molecules. For example, α and β particles emitted from nuclear decay reactions possess much higher energies than ordinary chemical bond energies. When these particles strike and penetrate matter, they...
18.1K
01:54Molar Mass
87.1K
The identity of a substance is defined not only by the types of atoms or ions it contains but by the quantity of each type of atom or ion. For example, water, H2O, and hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, are alike in that their respective molecules are composed of hydrogen and oxygen atoms. However, because a hydrogen peroxide molecule contains two oxygen atoms, as opposed to the water molecule, which has only one, the two substances exhibit very different properties.
87.1K