Single Molecule 3D Orientation in Time and Space: A 6D Dynamic Study on Fluorescently Labeled Lipid Membranes

Pressure-controlled microfluidics for automated single-molecule sample preparation

Sample preparation is a crucial step in single-molecule experiments and involves passivating the microfluidic sample chamber, immobilizing the molecules, and setting experimental buffer conditions. The efficiency of the experiment depends on the quality and speed of sample preparation, which is often performed manually and relies on the experience of the experimenter. This can result in inefficient use of single-molecule samples and time, especially for high-throughput applications. To address this, a pressure-controlled microfluidic system is proposed to automate single-molecule sample preparation. The hardware is based on microfluidic components from ElveFlow and is designed to be cost-effective and adaptable to various microscopy applications. The system includes a reservoir pressure adapter and a reservoir holder designed for additive manufacturing. Two flow chamber designs Ibidi µ-slide and Grace Bio-Labs HybriWell chamber are characterized, and the flow characteristics of the liquid at different volume flow rates V˙ are simulated using CFD-simulations and compared to experimental and theoretical values. The goal of this work is to establish a straightforward and robust system for single-molecule sample preparation that can increase the efficiency of experiments and reduce the bottleneck of manual sample preparation, particularly for high-throughput applications.

Concurrent polarization IR analysis to determine the 3D angles and the order parameter for molecular orientation imaging

A non-tomographic analysis method is proposed to determine the 3D angles and the order parameter of molecular orientation using polarization-dependent infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Conventional polarization-based imaging approaches provide only 2D-projected orientational information of single vibrational modes. The newly proposed method concurrently analyses polarization angle-dependent absorptance of two non-parallel transition dipole moments. The relative phase angle and the maximum-to-minimum ratios observed from the two polarization profiles are used to calculate the 3D angles of the mean molecular orientation and the order parameter of the orientational distribution. Usage of those relative observables as intermediate input parameters makes the analysis results robust against variations in concentration, thickness, absorption peak, and absorption cross-section, which can occur in typical imaging conditions. This analysis is based on a single-step, non-iterative calculation that does not require any analytical model function of an orientational distribution function. This concurrent polarization analysis method is demonstrated using two simulation data examples, followed by associated error propagation analysis and discussion on the effect of absorption strength. Application of this robust spectral analysis method to polarization IR microscopy will provide a full molecular orientation image without tilting that tomographies require.

Simulations of camera-based single-molecule fluorescence experiments

Single-molecule microscopy has become a widely used technique in (bio)physics and (bio)chemistry. A popular implementation is single-molecule Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (smFRET), for which total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy is frequently combined with camera-based detection of surface-immobilized molecules. Camera-based smFRET experiments generate large and complex datasets and several methods for video processing and analysis have been reported. As these algorithms often address similar aspects in video analysis, there is a growing need for standardized comparison. Here, we present a Matlab-based software (MASH-FRET) that allows for the simulation of camera-based smFRET videos, yielding standardized data sets suitable for benchmarking video processing algorithms. The software permits to vary parameters that are relevant in cameras-based smFRET, such as video quality, and the properties of the system under study. Experimental noise is modeled taking into account photon statistics and camera noise. Finally, we survey how video test sets should be designed to evaluate currently available data analysis strategies in camera-based sm fluorescence experiments. We complement our study by pre-optimizing and evaluating spot detection algorithms using our simulated video test sets.

An atomistic view on carbocyanine photophysics in the realm of RNA

Carbocyanine dyes have a long-standing tradition in fluorescence imaging and spectroscopy, due to their photostability and large spectral separation between individual dye species. Herein, we explore the versatility of cyanine dyes to probe the dynamics of nucleic acids and we report on the interrelation of fluorophores, RNA, and metal ions, namely K⁺ and Mg²⁺. Photophysical parameters including the fluorescence lifetime, quantum yield and dynamic anisotropy are monitored as a function of the nucleic acid composition, conformation, and metal ion abundance. Occasional excursions to a non-fluorescent cis-state hint at the remarkable sensitivity of carbocyanines to their local environment. Comparison of time-correlated single photon experiments with all-atom molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that the propensity of photoisomerization is dictated by sterical constraints imposed on the fluorophore. Structural features in the vicinity of the dye play a crucial role in RNA recognition and have far-reaching implications on the mobility of the fluorescent probe. An atomic level description of the mutual interactions will ultimately benefit the quantitative interpretation of single-molecule FRET measurements on large RNA systems.

Enhanced DNA imaging using super-resolution microscopy and simultaneous single-molecule orientation measurements

Single-molecule orientation measurements provide unparalleled insight into a multitude of biological and polymeric systems. We report a simple, high-throughput technique for measuring the azimuthal orientation and rotational dynamics of single fluorescent molecules, which is compatible with localization microscopy. Our method involves modulating the polarization of an excitation laser, and analyzing the corresponding intensities emitted by single dye molecules and their modulation amplitudes. To demonstrate our approach, we use intercalating and groove-binding dyes to obtain super-resolved images of stretched DNA strands through binding-induced turn-on of fluorescence. By combining our image data with thousands of dye molecule orientation measurements, we develop a means of probing the structure of individual DNA strands, while also characterizing dye-DNA interactions. This approach may hold promise as a method for monitoring DNA conformation changes resulting from DNA-binding proteins.