Scanning Probe Optical Tweezers: a new tool to study DNA-protein interactions

Abstract

The main goal of the work described in this thesis is to construct a microscope in which OT and scanning probe microscopy (SPM) are combined, to be able to localize proteins while simultaneously controlling the tension within the DNA molecule. This apparatus enables the study of the effect of tension in the molecule on the functional properties of DNA-binding proteins. An advantage of the `Scanning Probe Optical Tweezers¿, i.e. SPOT-microscope, is that the DNA-protein interactions are not obstructed by the presence of a supporting surface as is the case for imaging using conventional SPM techniques