Protein Nanomechanics

For a comprehensive understanding of protein function and dynamics, it is crucial to study their mechanical properties. The exploration of internal protein nanomechanics is challenging for several reasons. First, proteins are tiny, nanometer-sized objects, so the expected forces acting within protein substructures are in the piconewton range. To study such small forces, unique physical experimental methods able to operate at the nanoscale have to be developed, such as atomic force microscopy and nanosurgical manipulations, as well as optical and magnetic tweezers, to name a few. To mechanically interrogate proteins, in addition to specialized physical methods, site-specific bioconjugation assays are needed. Site-specific bioconjugation guarantees a precise definition of the pulling direction, which is needed due to the strong mechanical anisotropy of proteins.