Apr 29, 2024: W.E. Moerner (Stanford) - Closs Lecture
The Story of Light and Single Molecules: From Spectroscopy in Solids, to Super-Resolution Nanoscopy in Cells and Beyond The optical detection of single molecules has provided a new view into the nanoscale. It is fascinating to recall that the first optical single-molecule detection arose out of optical data storage efforts at an industrial research lab in the 1980’s. Since ensemble averaging is removed, each single molecule can act as a reporter of not only its position, but also local information about the nearby environment. One key application is super-resolution microscopy, which enables biological objects and material structures to be observed with resolutions down to tens of nm and below. Examples range from protein superstructures in bacteria to bands in axons to details of the shapes of amyloid fibrils, cell surface sugars, and much more. For super-resolution imaging in three dimensions (3D), optical engineering methods which alter the fundamental way in which a microscope works provide a simple, useful 3D microscope with extended axial range. Low temperature single-molecule imaging provides much improved localization precision in order to complement cryo-electron tomography studies. Even SARS-CoV-2 RNA in an infected mammalian cell forms amazing cluster-like structures which are reminiscent of the galaxies from modern telescopes. Combining super-resolution imaging of a static structure with time-dependent 3D tracking of other single biomolecules provides a powerful view of cellular dynamics. This journey through science provides a number of useful guideposts for students pursuing scientific research to study and discover new properties of our world.