News and Updates

We're joining Harvard Medical School and the immune disease institute...

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:16:43 -0400

This fall will bring some significant and exciting changes to the Single-molecule Force Studies Group. We will be moving from the Rowland Institute to the Harvard Longwood Medical Area where Dr. Wong will be starting a tenure-track position as an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School in the Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology (BCMP), and as an Principal Investigator at the Immune Disease Institute/Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine at Children’s Hospital Boston. In addition, we will be part of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, where Dr. Wong will be an Associate Faculty member. There are many new adventures and opportunities in store for us, so keep watching this space for new news.

New publication: single-molecule centrifugation

Wed, 2 Jun 2010 01:30:42 -0400

The widespread use of single-molecule manipulation techniques has been impeded by the slow and difficult nature of making measurements one-molecule-at-a-time, and the often high cost of the necessary equipment. We have developed a new approach to meet these challenge that we call single-molecule centrifugation. Our first paper on this method has just been published as a letter in Biophysical Journal.

introducing single-molecule centrifugation...

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:04:12 -0400

Performing single-molecule manipulation experiments can be a laborious and expensive undertaking. We are developing a new approach to solve these issues that we call single-molecule centrifugation. Our first paper on this method has just been accepted for publication.

new publication: vwf and the regulation of blood clotting

Fri, 5 Jun 2009 02:59:04 -0400

We’ve just published a paper in Science Magazine in collaboration with Timothy A. Springer’s group. Using techniques in single-molecule manipulation, we have studied a fundamental feedback mechanism that the body uses to regulate the clotting of blood. The A2 domain of von Willebrand factor is the key to this largely mechanical molecular feedback loop. Using optical tweezers, we have characterized the unfolding and refolding kinetics of the A2 domain, and have shown that force acts as an “cofactor”, enabling the cleavage of A2 by the ADAMTS13 enzyme. Furthermore, the hydrodynamic tensile forces encountered by VWF in the circulation are sufficient to enable cleavage, which in turn down regulates the body’s hemostatic potential.

Presentations in march

Sun, 1 Mar 2009 20:17:10 -0500

Our group is presenting at a number of meetings this month. We’d love to see you there!

At the Biophysical Society Meeting:

1. Unfolding, refolding and proteolysis of the von Willebrand Factor A2 domain under tensile force. Xiaohui Zhang, Kenneth Halvorsen, Wesley P. Wong, Timothy A. Springer. 188-Pos, Sunday, March 1, 2009, 1:00-3:00 pm in Hall A, Board #B67.

1. Probing protein folding kinetics with high-resolution, stabilized optical tweezers. Wesley P. Wong, Ken Halvorsen. 1124-Plat, Monday, March 2, 2009, 12:30-12:45 PM in Room 104 A/B.

1. Beyond the frame rate: measuring fast dynamics with a slow camera. Ken Halvorsen, Wesley P. Wong. 3287-Pos, Wednesday, March 4, 2009, 1:00-3:00 pm in Hall A, Board#B333.

At the APS March Meeting

1. Probing protein folding kinetics with high-resolution, stabilized optical tweezers. Wesley P. Wong, Ken Halvorsen. 1124-Plat, Thursday, March 19, 2009, 12:15-12:30 PM, Session W40, room 412.

new publication: beyond the frame rate

Sun, 1 Feb 2009 02:17:51 -0500

We’ve just published a paper in Optics Letters on a new technique for measuring fluctuations above the frequency limitations typically imposed by the acquisition rate and frequency response of instruments.

new group website launched

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 02:02:27 -0500

We’ve launched a new website for our research group. It’s a fresh start, that we will continue to update and improve upon. Hope you enjoy it!