Our lab investigates protein folding mechanisms using single molecule manipulation techniques.  Within last ten years or so, single molecule techniques have developed into powerful tools for many branches for physical and biological sciences.  Since biological macromolecules are remarkably complex and variable, single molecule studies have generated significant new insights into the mechanisms of their functionality in cells and organelles.  Because of this, single molecule techniques were selected as one of the top scientific breakthroughs in 2003 by Science magazine (December 19, 2003), which says:  "new collaborations between biologists and physicists are detailing the busy lives of single molecules, in real time, as they buzz about their business in the cell".  NIH also issued a special program announcement (PA-01-049) "Single Molecule Detection and Manipulation" to support this type of research, which claims "It has become increasingly clear that state-of-the-art single molecule methods offer a powerful new approach to understanding subcellular structure and function.  These methods have significant advantages over more static methods since they are designed to make observations on molecules as they move in time and space".

    Our lab is also a member of the Nanotechnology Institute of Southeastern Pennsylvania, within which collaborative research and development projects are being carried out. 

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