An SSDNA Based Force Sensor for Multi Motor Transport as an Alternative to Optical Tweezers

Abstract

Forces exerted by molecular motors have traditionally been quantified by optical tweezers. The requirement of physical connection to microscopic beads and low-throughput in an optical tweezer experiment limits its applicability in diverse configurations. We present a single-stranded DNA-based force sensor that can measure forces exerted by individual molecular motors in real-time when multiple motors are transporting a common microtubule. An ssDNA molecule, which acts as a force sensing molecule, is sandwiched between motor molecules and the coverslip.