Techniques that track individual enzymes or DNA molecules to reveal dynamics hidden in bulk experiments.
Optical tweezers, magnetic tweezers and single-molecule FRET watch one polymerase or helicase at work, revealing pausing, stepping and heterogeneity. Findings include the stepping of kinesin and the rotation of ATP synthase.
Techniques that track individual enzymes or DNA molecules to reveal dynamics hidden in bulk experiments.
Single-Molecule Biology is one of the 52 topics in Molecular Biology. It is rated Advanced, so it suits learners who want specialist depth. Related topics in this area include Promoter, Ubiquitin-Proteasome System, Mediator Complex.
Single-molecule tracking showed transcription factors bind DNA for only seconds.
Work through the Beginner topics in Molecular Biology first, such as Central Dogma, DNA Replication, Base Pairing, then return to Single-Molecule Biology. Advanced topics assume the Intermediate vocabulary.
The closest topics to Single-Molecule Biology are Promoter, Ubiquitin-Proteasome System, Mediator Complex, Transcription. Comparing them side by side is a good way to see how the ideas connect.
Read the summary and the in-depth section, then use the quick check on the interactive lesson for Single-Molecule Biology. To practise the whole of Molecular Biology, use the Molecular Biology quiz.
Single-Molecule Biology: Techniques that track individual enzymes or DNA molecules to reveal dynamics hidden in bulk experiments. Promoter: A DNA sequence where RNA polymerase and transcription factors bind to start transcription of a gene. Read both side by side and note what each one explains.
First, read the summary and write the definition in your own words. Second, read the in-depth section and note any example. Third, compare it with Promoter and explain the difference aloud. Finally, take the Molecular Biology quiz and come back to this page for any question you miss.
A DNA sequence where RNA polymerase and transcription factors bind to start transcription of a gene.
🧫 Molecular BiologyUbiquitin tagging marks proteins for destruction by the proteasome to control protein levels.
🧫 Molecular BiologyA large multi-protein assembly that links enhancer-bound transcription factors to RNA polymerase II.
🧫 Molecular BiologyThe process of making an RNA copy of a gene using DNA as a template.
🧫 Molecular Biology