Dynamic Force Spectroscopy of Molecular Adhesion Bonds

Abstract

Recent advances in atomic force microscopy, biomembrane force probe experiments, and optical tweezers allow one to measure the response of single molecules to mechanical stress with high precision. Such experiments, due to limited spatial resolution, typically access only one single force value in a continuous force profile that characterizes the molecular response along a reaction coordinate. We develop a theory that allows one to reconstruct force profiles from force spectra obtained from measurements at varying loading rates, without requiring increased resolution. We show that spectra obtained from measurements with different spring constants contain complementary information.