Feeling a Protein's Motion

摘要

There's a new way to watch proteins shimmy and dance as they carry out their biological tasks. Researchers traditionally follow; these shape changes spectroscopically, deducing them from changes in the molecules' ability to absorb, particular wavelengths of light. But in the 22 July Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a group in Israel reports taking a more direct approach: planting the tip of an ultrafine glass fiber on top of the protein and actually feeling it move.