TITLE: "Getting up-close and personal with individual molecules"

SPEAKER: Dr. Martin Guthold,

TIME: Tuesday Jan. 30, 2001 at 4 PM

PLACE: George P. Williams, Jr. Lecture Hall, (Olin 101)

Within the last decade a new era in the physical, chemical and biological sciences has begun to emerge. It has now become possible to take measurements on individual molecules; whereas in the past, data could only be obtained on bulk molecules. This new development opens the door to experiments that were previously inconceivable. My seminar will consist of three parts. I will first review some of the most important achievements in this new field of single molecule experiments. Second, I will then outline my own research on individual biological molecules. In particular, I will talk about force measurements on DNA molecules and fibrin fibers, the building blocks of blood clots. And third, I will outline future directions this research could take.