Optical Tweezers Shedding Light On Life’s Molecules, One At A Time

08.04.2019 Optical Tweezers Shedding Light On Life’s Molecules, One At A Time Recent advances have led to the new field of single molecule biophysics. Single-molecule techniques record characteristics that are otherwise obscured by traditional approaches, revealing the behavior of individual biomolecules. Prominent among the new techniques is ‘optical tweezers,’ which uses radiation pressure from a laser to manipulate tiny objects, noninvasively, under the microscope. Dr. Arthur Ashkin (Bell Labs) received the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention of optical tweezers, and for its biological applications. This talk highlights some of those biological applications, illustrating the power of this technology to help scientists understand the key molecules of life. Speakers Steven M. Block, The Stanford W. Ascherman, M.D., Professor and Professor of Applied Physics and of Biology, Stanford University