Innovative Method for Single-Molecule Observation in Chemistry

Scientists at the University of WisconsinMadison have developed the most sensitive method yet for detecting and profiling a single molecule unlocking a new tool that holds potential for better understanding how the building blocks of matter interact with each other. The new method could have implications for pursuits as varied as drug discovery and the development of advanced materials. The technical achievement, detailed this month in the journal Nature, marks a significant advance in the burgeoning field of observing individual molecules without the aid of fluorescent labels. While these labels are useful in many applications, they alter molecules in ways that can obscure how they naturally interact with one another. The new label-free method makes the molecules so easy to detect, it is almost as if they had labels. Randall Goldsmith, a professor at UWMadison, mentions the importance of the breakthrough for understanding complex systems.