Biophysical Society Thematic Meeting | Tutzing 2026

Single-Molecule FRET: The Next 30 Years

Friday Speaker Abstracts

NEXT-GENERATION SINGLE-MOLECULE TOOLS FOR EXPLORING BIOMOLECULAR SEQUENCE SPACE Chirlmin Joo 1 ; 1 Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands Single-molecule fluorescence techniques have revolutionized our ability to study the structural and functional dynamics of biomolecules. However, their scope has been limited by constraints on sequence diversity and throughput. To address these challenges, we developed SPARXS (Single-molecule Parallel Analysis for Rapid eXploration of Sequence space), a novel platform that combines single-molecule fluorescence with next-generation sequencing. This approach aspires to unlock the ability to analyze millions of sequence-dependent molecular interactions with unparalleled resolution. By bridging the gap between biophysical tools and modern genomics, SPARXS holds the promise of uncovering critical insights into DNA/RNA-protein interactions. It can also be repurposed for peptide and chemical screening. This vision aims to propel fundamental discoveries while paving the way for transformative applications in molecular biology, immunology, and drug discovery.

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