A microscope configured to measure Single-molecule Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (smFRET) efficiency has been designed by researchers in the U.K. The design instructions for the smfBOX device are publicly available, enabling its deployment by a wider group of users outside the laboratory.

The instrument generates smFRET data to gauge distances within and between structurally dynamic biomolecules. The single-molecule measurements allow scientists to examine one molecule at a time diffusing through a confocal spot under alternating laser excitation rather than arriving at an average result A 3D model of the completed smfBox, with the front panel of the microscope body removed. Source: Benjamin Ambrose et al.from bulk samples. The open source instructions and software needed to operate smfBOX will help make the single-molecule method accessible to facilities without the economic burden of commercially available microscopes.

Researchers interested in the biological sciences can use smfBOX with little training, and the lasers have been shielded to enable use under normal lighting conditions. The microscope has been used at the University of Sheffield to investigate fundamental biological processes, such as DNA damage detection, which could lead to better therapies for cancer and other diseases.

Scientists from Rutherford Appleton Laboratory also contributed to this research, which is published in Nature Communications.