Dynamic Processes within Living Cells

Energy-transfer measurements are often used to estimate the distances between sites on biological macromolecules such as proteins, and the effects of conformational changes on these distances. In this type of experiment, the efficiency of energy transfer is used to calculate the distance between donor and acceptor fluorophores in order to obtain structural information about the macromolecule. 

Advances in pulsed lasers, microscopy and computer imaging, and the development of labelling techniques in which the donor and acceptor fluorophores become part of the biomolecules themselves have enabled the visualisation of dynamic protein interactions within living cells. 

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The formation of dynamic artificial supramolecular nanoscale assemblies within living cells will be of interest to find out its influence on cell behaviour since it will integrate molecular self-assembly with biochemical reactions, giving rise to better understanding of biological processes and possible new approaches to tackle diseased states. 

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