Exploring nanoscale biophysics by ultrahigh-speed optical interference microscopy

Chia-Lung Hsieh^1*

¹Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan

* Presenter:Chia-Lung Hsieh, email:clh@gate.sinica.edu.tw

Macroscopic phenomena in living systems start from the interactions between individual molecules at the nanoscale. Investigation of nanoscopic behaviors of small biological entities, ideally at the single-molecule level, is useful for understanding the underlying principles of biological events. Unfortunately, it is challenging to measure dynamics of small bio-objects at the nanoscale because they are in constant diffusive motion driven by the thermal energy. In this talk, a high-speed optical interference microscope technique that enables direct imaging and tracking of nano-sized objects will be presented. By detecting linear scattering light through interference, motions of very small nanoparticles can be measured with nanometer spatial precision within microseconds. The application of nanoparticles to high-resolution single-molecule measurements will be discussed.

Keywords: high-speed optical microscopy, nanoscale biophysics, single molecules, nanoparticles, bioimaging