Laser optical tweezers for studies of biomolecules in the post-reductionist era

Laser optical tweezers (LOT) is a single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) method that can provide direct, real-time assessments of forces acting on individual molecules at sub-piconewton resolution. Furthermore, LOT allows for the direct manipulation of single molecules under controlled conditions, thereby enabling detailed examination of processes including chromatin compaction, templated protein misfolding, DNA packaging by the bacteriophage T4 motor, function of transcription and translation machinery, and the roles of SNARE protein complexes in membrane fusion. The main advantage of LOT is its ability to connect the mechanical properties of individual biomolecules at the molecular level with larger (sub)cellular processes, and, hence, it creates a mechanistic link between the biophysics of single molecules and the complex nature of cells. This is a crucial step in advancing mechanobiology and improving our understanding of how biomolecules function in their biological context, particularly in post-reductionist research.