The focus of the Lang Lab is in molecular biophysics applied towards functional measurement of molecular and cellular machinery. We use optical tweezers and single molecule fluorescence, force fluorescence microscopy, to measure the molecular underpinnings of molecular and cellular machinery. These two techniques provide complementary information about the system of interest. Single molecule fluorescence can report on the conformational state of a biomolecule, while optical tweezers allow for the mechanical manipulation of proteins with position and force resolutions on the order of nm and pN, respectively. Using state of the art equipment developed in our lab, we are combining force and fluorescence spectroscopic capabilities to tackle novel biological problems at the molecular and cellular levels.
