Erdal Toprak, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Single Molecule Measurments of Molecular Motors
Molecular motors (myosins, kinesin, dynein, F1F0 ATPase etc.) are some of the key components of the cellular machinery. Almost all of the non-diffusive movements in a live organism are generated by molecular motors. It is also known that lack of properly functioning motor proteins can cause severe diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s. We are investigating molecular motors’ structures and functioning mechanisms by using single molecule biophysical methods such as fluorescence microscopy and optical force spectroscopy (laser tweezers).
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