Work

Continuous mass photometry by single-molecule trapping

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The dynamic choreography of biomolecular interactions underpins the processes of life, but its direct observation remains challenging. Here we introduce continuous mass photometry, enabling hour-long, mass-resolved observation of individual biomolecules tethered to supported lipid bilayers, their complexes and interactions, with up to sub-kilodalton mass precision and millisecond temporal resolution. Our approach represents a quantitative time-resolved single-molecule measurement modality for studying complex biomolecular mechanisms in action.

Source: Nature Methods

DOI: 10.1038/s41592-026-03252-1

Authors: Dan Loewenthal, Roi Asor, Stephen Thorpe, Jack S. Peters, Konstantin C. Zouboulis, Merve Kaplan, Jan Christoph Thiele, Jack Bardzil, Seham Helmi, Sean A. Burnap, Tiong Kit Tan, Weston B. Struwe, Justin L. P. Benesch, Philipp Kukura

Institutions: University of Oxford, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy Techniques

Subfield: Biophysics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $12,690

Funders: Wellcome Trust, Directorate for Biological Sciences, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

Awards: Single-molecule proteomics: next-generation analysis of proteins in individual cells, Dynamic Mass Photometry: A new method for studying membrane protein dynamics and interactions, Transforming molecular biophysics with mass photometry, Programmable DNA-origami-based platform for label-free biomolecular analysis, Exploring Filovirus-host interactions at single cell resolution

OpenAlex ID: W7127443778

FWCI: 3.992

Cites: 23

Cited by: 2

Related to: 10