We
believe just as single-molecule techniques revolutionized biophysics in the
modern era, they will also take cell biology to the next level in the
post-genomic era. The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae provides an
excellent model system to begin this quest for “single-molecule cell biology”.
It possesses the essential complexity of a eukaryote, but is still genetically
tractable. Using a myriad of microscopy and analysis methods, we are trying to
detect single molecules in yeast cells to obtain quantitative information on
the configuration of DNA, diffusion of proteins, the occupancy of nucleosomes,
and transcriptional kinetics. |  A can of worms: We would like to study individual worms in a can without opening a can of worms. |
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Research >
Technical Level: Detecting single molecules in yeast cells |