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Molecule by molecule, the physics and chemistry of life: SMB 2007

Nature Chemical Biology volume 3, pages 193–197 (2007)Cite this article

Interdisciplinary work in the life sciences at the boundaries of biology, chemistry and physics is making enormous strides. This progress was showcased at the recent Single Molecule Biophysics conference.

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Figure 1: Topoisomerase IV relaxes supercoils in DNA.

Keir Neuman

Figure 2: Cartoon showing the experimental geometry used by Dogterom and co-workers to apply compressive loads to a microtubule.

Marileen Dogterom

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Acknowledgements

Financial support for SMB 2007 was generously provided by the Martin & Beate Block Scholarship Endowment, the US National Science Foundation, the Biophysical Society, Academia Sinica (Taiwan), Nikon Instruments Inc., Chroma Inc., Visigen Inc., Olympus America Inc., Hamamatsu Inc., and Zeiss Inc. Logistical details at the Aspen Center for Physics were ably coordinated by its administrative director, J. Kelly.

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Author notes

  1. Steven M. Block is in the Department of Applied Physics and the Department of Biological Sciences; William J. Greenleaf is in the Department of Applied Physics; and Matthew H. Larson, Kristina M. Herbert, Nicholas R. Guydosh and Peter C. Anthony are in the Biophysics Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA. The order of the authors was determined by their respective NASTAR ski race times, fastest first. sblock@stanford.edu

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  1. Steven M Block
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  2. Matthew H Larson
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  6. Peter C Anthony
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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Block, S., Larson, M., Greenleaf, W. et al. Molecule by molecule, the physics and chemistry of life: SMB 2007. Nat Chem Biol 3, 193–197 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio0407-193

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