Freely Orbiting Magnetic Tweezers
Freely Orbiting Magnetic Tweezers - Related Videos
11:41
Magnetic Tweezers for the Measurement of Twist and Torque
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Cited by 16 •
2014
Magnetic tweezers, a powerful single-molecule manipulation technique, can be adapted for the direct measurements of the twist (using a configuration called freely-orbiting magnetic tweezers) and torque (using a configuration termed magnetic torque tweezers) in biological macromolecules. Guidelines for performing such measurements are given, including applications to the study of DNA and associated nucleo-protein filaments.
10:08
Multiplexed Single-molecule Force Proteolysis Measurements Using Magnetic Tweezers
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Cited by 2 •
2012
In this article we describe the use of magnetic tweezers to study the effect of force on enzymatic proteolysis at the single molecule level in a highly parallelizable manner.
10:18
Molecular Orbital (MO) Theory
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2023
Source: Tamara M. Powers, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University This protocol serves as a guide in the synthesis of two metal complexes featuring the ligand 1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (dppf): M(dppf)Cl2, where M = Ni or Pd. While both of these transition metal complexes are 4-coordinate, they exhibit different geometries at the metal center. Using molecular orbital (MO) theory in conjunction with 1H NMR and Evans method, we will determine the geometry of these two...
08:28
Single-molecule Manipulation of G-quadruplexes by Magnetic Tweezers
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Cited by 4 •
2017
A single-molecule magnetic tweezers platform to manipulate G-quadruplexes is reported, which allows for the study of G4 stability and regulation by various proteins.
02:44
Atomic Orbitals
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2020
An atomic orbital represents the three-dimensional regions in an atom where an electron has the highest probability to reside. The radial distribution function indicates the total probability of finding an electron within the thin shell at a distance r from the nucleus. The atomic orbitals have distinct shapes which are determined by l, the angular momentum quantum number. The orbitals are often drawn with a boundary surface, enclosing densest regions of the cloud. The angular momentum...
FAQs
Magnetic fields affect the probe through two coupled mechanical actions: force changes its position, whereas torque changes its orientation and rotation. In freely orbiting magnetic tweezers, controlled changes in the field therefore produce observable orbital or angular responses. Comparing those responses with the applied magnetic conditions reveals how strongly the surrounding system resists translation or rotation.
The unconstrained probe can rotate and orbit rather than being forced to move along a fixed axis. This distinction matters because rotational motion carries information about torsional behavior and resistance that an axis-restricted measurement may not expose. Continuous motion also allows the response to be followed as magnetic conditions change, supporting measurements of dynamic and nonequilibrium behavior.
Orbital and angular motion depend on the balance between magnetic action and the mechanical response of the surrounding system. Field changes provide the controlled input, while torsional resistance, viscoelastic behavior, and interactions with nearby polymers, biomolecules, or microscopic materials shape the output. Interpreting the motion consequently requires treating the probe as a reporter of its environment.
Orbital displacement primarily reports how the probe responds to applied force, while angular displacement reports how it responds to applied torque. Considering both channels helps separate translational and rotational aspects of the interaction. That distinction is useful when a material or molecule permits motion in one sense but presents stronger torsional or viscoelastic resistance in another.
A basic measurement begins by placing an unconstrained magnetic probe in the system, applying a controlled magnetic field, and monitoring its orbital or angular motion. The field is then varied so that changes in the probe’s movement can be compared with changes in magnetic conditions. This workflow links measured motion to force, torque, and the mechanical response of the surrounding environment.
Freely Orbiting Magnetic Tweezers can characterize torsional behavior, viscoelastic resistance, and mechanical interactions at small scales. In biophysics, the approach is relevant to systems involving polymers and biomolecules; in physics and materials research, it can also address microscopic materials. The measured orbital and angular responses provide the basis for comparing how these systems react to controlled magnetic changes.
Because the probe is not constrained to a fixed axis, the method is suited to studying rotational dynamics alongside force response. It can reveal nonequilibrium mechanical responses, meaning behavior observed while the system is driven by changing magnetic conditions rather than held in a static state. This makes it useful when the response to changing conditions matters.