From Single Molecule to Cellular Complexity
Research summary
A general aim of our group is to develop new single molecule experiments to study processes in live cells. For the past decade, single molecule techniques of various kinds have greatly extended the toolbox of biochemists for studying biomolecules in vitro. However, in order to truly understand the activity of biomolecules, it is also imperative to put them back into the environment of live cells and watch them from there -- hence our goal. We will keep sharing with you our thrills of adventuring into this very young field, by keep updating this web page.
Prokaryotic Cytoskeleton
Bacterial cells are organized around a set of cytoskeletal structures. E. coli, for example, have a tubulin homolog protein call FtsZ, which forms a ring structure at the cell's septum and is needed for cell division.
We have been trying to learn about their functions by following the actions of individual molecules in real time.
Here are some single-molecule movies: (Enable javascript if you don't see the embeded movies)
| A stationary FtsZ molecule in the septum region | A quite mobile FtsZ molecule at the cell peripheral | Some other examples of "dancing" FtsZ molecules |