Biochemistry: one molecule at a time

Exploring the realm of soft matter biophysics: an early career perspective

This special issue of Emerging Topics in Life Sciences presents a selection of reviews that give insight into the vast array of research taking place in the fields of soft matter and biophysics, and where these two intersect. The reviews here cover the full range from the fundamentals of how biological systems may have assembled to how we can use this insight to develop and exploit new biomaterials for the future, all informed through the lens of the physical sciences. This issue has been both written and edited by early career researchers, highlighting the cutting-edge contributions that this generation of researchers is bringing to the field.

Conformational Dynamics of DNA Polymerases Revealed at the Single-Molecule Level

DNA polymerases are intrinsically dynamic macromolecular machines. The purpose of this review is to describe the single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) methods that are used to probe the conformational dynamics of DNA polymerases, focusing on E. coli DNA polymerase I. The studies reviewed here reveal the conformational dynamics underpinning the nucleotide selection, proofreading and 5′ nuclease activities of Pol I. Moreover, the mechanisms revealed for Pol I are likely employed across the DNA polymerase family. smFRET methods have also been used to examine other aspects of DNA polymerase activity.