Synopsis
As molecular and cellular biologists move toward nano-techniques for performing experiments on single molecules rather than on populations of molecules, a comprehensive manual on how (and why) to carry out such experiments is needed. Single Molecule Techniques: A Laboratory Manual fills this requirement-it is the first to take researchers who know nothing about single-molecule analyses to the point where they can successfully design and execute appropriate experiments. Geared toward research scientists in structural and molecular biology, biochemistry, and biophysics, the manual will be useful to all who are interested in observing, manipulating, and elucidating the molecular mechanisms and discrete properties of macromolecules. Techniques range from in vivo and in vitro fluorescent-based methods to the use of atomic force microscopy, optical and magnetic tweezers, and nanopores. The book is edited by Paul R. Selvin and Taekjip Ha, two pioneers in the field of experimental biophysics who have made significant contributions to the development and application of single-molecule technologies.
Nature Cell Biology
I don't believe I have ever before read a microscopy textbook from cover to cover—but this one, reader, I did. Its two editors, Taekjip Ha and Paul Selvin, have set out to assemble a manual for cell biologists who want to extend their technical repertoires to include single-molecule techniques. They have succeeded admirably, and as a bonus the book provides a fascinating insight into where the technical limits lie, of how we stand—as the authors suggest in their introduction—at the beginning of a new era of single-molecule-based cell biology...This excellent book will be invaluable to anyone who is already competent at multimolecule data collection and interested in getting down to molecular mechanisms.