Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 15, 2025

Visualizing Single Molecular Complexes In Vivo Using Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy

Visualizing Single Molecular Complexes In Vivo Using Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: September 8, 2009

Recent advances in single-molecule fluorescence microscopy render structural biology dynamic.

Luka Bacic¹, Anton Sabantsev¹, Sebastian Deindl¹

¹Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.

Current Opinion in Structural Biology

|July 8, 2020

Summary

Single-molecule fluorescence microscopy advances structural dynamics studies. New techniques and combined approaches offer deeper mechanistic insights into molecular machines and protein complexes for atomic-level biological understanding.

Related Concept Videos

Protein Dynamics in Living Cells

Protein Dynamics in Living Cells

Different fluorescence-based techniques are used to study the protein dynamics in living cells. These techniques include FRAP, FRET, and PET.
Fluorescent recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) is a fluorescent-protein-based detection technique used to quantify protein movement rates within the cell. This method exposes a small portion of the cell to an intense laser beam. The laser beam causes permanent photobleaching of the fluorophore-tagged proteins in the exposed region. As the bleached...

Two-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology

Two-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology

Two-dimensional (2D) microscopy encompasses a range of optical techniques that capture images within a single focal plane, offering detailed representations of microscopic structures. These techniques are essential in biological and medical research, enabling the visualization of cellular and subcellular structures with different levels of contrast and specificity.There are several major types of 2D microscopy, each with strengths and applications.Bright-Field MicroscopyBright-field microscopy...

Studying the Cytoskeleton

Studying the Cytoskeleton

The cytoskeletal architecture can be studied using different microscopic and biochemical techniques. Electron microscopy was instrumental in discovering the cytoskeletal architecture around the 1960s, which allowed obtaining structural information at a high-resolution level. However, the sample preparation procedure often limits this ability in biological samples. Several protocols have been developed over the years to optimize sample preparation. In one of the protocols known as rotary...

Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy

Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (SRFM) provides a better resolution than conventional fluorescence microscopy by reducing the point spread function (PSF). PSF is the light intensity distribution from a point that causes it to appear blurred. Due to PSF, each fluorescing point appears bigger than its actual size, and it is the PSF interference of nearby fluorophores that causes the blurred image. Various approaches to achieving higher resolution through SRFM have recently been...

Three-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology

Three-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology

Three-dimensional imaging techniques are essential in cell biology, allowing researchers to visualize intricate cellular structures with high resolution. Two prominent methods, Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy (DIC) and Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy (CSLM), provide distinct advantages for imaging live and thick specimens, respectively.Differential Interference Contrast MicroscopyDIC microscopy enhances contrast in transparent, unstained samples by converting phase...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

A Nanopore-Gated Subattoliter Silicon Nanocavity for Single-Molecule Trapping and Analysis without Applying an External Force.

ACS nano·2026

Same author

Cryo-EM structure of ALC1 in an open conformation bound to a PARylated nucleosome.

Acta crystallographica. Section D, Structural biology·2026

Same author

The human BAF chromatin remodeler processes nucleosomes bound by pioneer transcription factors OCT4-SOX2.

Molecular cell·2026

Same author

Native Mass Spectrometry Captures the Conformational Plasticity of Proteins with Low-Complexity Domains.

JACS Au·2025

Same author

The voyage is as important as the harbor.

eLife·2024

Same author

Asymmetric nucleosome PARylation at DNA breaks mediates directional nucleosome sliding by ALC1.

Nature communications·2024

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Structural Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Single-molecule fluorescence microscopy is crucial for studying macromolecular structural dynamics.
Understanding biological function requires detailed insights into molecular machines.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent advancements in single-molecule fluorescence microscopy.
To highlight combined techniques for mechanistic insights into molecular machines.
To emphasize progress towards a dynamic, atomic-level understanding of biological processes.

Main Methods:

Advanced single-molecule fluorescence techniques.
Integration of fluorescence microscopy with other structural methods.
Review of current literature and technological developments.

More Related Videos

Characterizing Single-Molecule Conformational Changes Under Shear Flow with Fluorescence Microscopy

Characterizing Single-Molecule Conformational Changes Under Shear Flow with Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: January 25, 2020

From Fast Fluorescence Imaging to Molecular Diffusion Law on Live Cell Membranes in a Commercial Microscope

From Fast Fluorescence Imaging to Molecular Diffusion Law on Live Cell Membranes in a Commercial Microscope

Published on: October 9, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 15, 2025

Visualizing Single Molecular Complexes In Vivo Using Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy

Visualizing Single Molecular Complexes In Vivo Using Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: September 8, 2009

Characterizing Single-Molecule Conformational Changes Under Shear Flow with Fluorescence Microscopy

Characterizing Single-Molecule Conformational Changes Under Shear Flow with Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: January 25, 2020

From Fast Fluorescence Imaging to Molecular Diffusion Law on Live Cell Membranes in a Commercial Microscope

From Fast Fluorescence Imaging to Molecular Diffusion Law on Live Cell Membranes in a Commercial Microscope

Published on: October 9, 2014

Main Results:

Development of more complex single-molecule fluorescence methods.
Successful combination of fluorescence microscopy with structural approaches.
Enhanced ability to gain mechanistic insights into molecular machines.

Conclusions:

Recent developments bring a dynamic understanding of biological processes closer.
Atomic-level insights into macromolecular function are increasingly attainable.
The reviewed techniques are pivotal for future biological research.