Computed Three-Dimensional Atomic Force Microscopy Images of Biopolymers Using the Jarzynski Equality
- Journal:
- The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
- Published:
- DOI:
- 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01093
- Affiliations:
- 8
- Authors:
- 7
Research Highlight
Imaging slower moving molecules in biopolymers
© KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images
A way of extending simulations of a powerful microscopy technique so that they can model slower molecular motion in biomolecules has been demonstrated.
Three-dimensional atomic force microscopy (3D-AFM) is promising for determining the three-dimensional structures of biopolymers such as chromosomes and proteins within cells. So far, simulations needed to interpret 3D-AFM images have been limited to cases where molecular motion is much faster than the scanning speed of the 3D-AFM probe.
Now, a computational method developed by a team led by researchers from Kanazawa University in Japan can simulate 3D-AFM images of biopolymers when the molecular motion is comparable or slower than the 3D-AFM scanning rate.
The team used their technique to generate simulated images of slices through a globular biopolymer as the probe descended into it. They showed that it can resolve the nanoscale fibrous structure of the biopolymer.
References
- The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 13, 5365−5371 (2022). doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01093