Watching Single Molecules in Action

About the Event:

Single-molecule methods have become widely used tools for probing the structure, dynamics, and mechanisms of biomolecular systems. In this seminar, Dr. Mikayel Aznauryan will introduce the general concepts of single-molecule methodology and, in particular, will outline the principles of single-molecule fluorescence microscopy and its use in characterization of biomolecules at a nanoscale. Finally, he will present the results of a recent research where single-molecule fluorescence microscopy was utilized to investigate the conformational dynamics of proteins and nucleic acids both under in vitro conditions and more importantly in their native cellular environment.

About the Speaker:

Mikayel Aznauryan, PhD, is a researcher working within a field of experimental molecular biophysics, focusing on investigation of proteins and DNA, with particular use of state-of-the-art high-resolution single-molecule microscopy methods, for probing the molecular motions and interactions in these systems. He has obtained a PhD from Yerevan State University, thereafter continuing his professional training in several world-leading universities, including the University of Zurich (Switzerland) and Aarhus University (Denmark). Recently, he was appointed as a group leader in the University of Bordeaux (France) and is starting his research lab there. Dr. Aznauryan is a recipient of several prestigious international research grants, including a Marie Skłodowska-Curie individual fellowship from the EU Horizon 2020 program. Recently, Aznauryan has been selected as a “Fellow of the Week” of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.

Language: English