Optical single molecule spectroscopy for monitoring conformational dynamics of a single biomacromolecule

Dynamic structural changes of biomacromolecules undergoing biochemical reactions can be studied using novel single-pair fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments (sp-FRET), where the time-stamped photon sequence represents the data. We have built a diffusive model of single biomacromolecule, in which a single FRET pair resides on a biomacromolecule that undergoes diffusion in solution, with the goal to understand how the dynamics of the biomacromolecule is reflected in the observed photoemission statistics. And then we utilize the information carried by detected photons and use the time-correlation analysis technique to understand the underlying complex dynamical process of a single biomacromolecule. Our study establishes potentially useful technique and guidelines for the experimental study of following the dynamical processes in real time and revealing the mechanism of complex biochemical reactions.