Life depends on remarkable arrays of biochemical
reactions. Understanding the workings of biomolecules involves
real-time monitoring of these reactions. Happening in only tiny
fractions of a millisecond, this is very difficult even with highly
sensitive optical instruments. Therefore, Ph.D. researcher Yuyang
Wang uses a ‘plasmonic nanotorch,” a single metal nanoparticle that
illuminates single fluorescent molecules, making it possible now to
detect those ultrafast biochemical reactions. Wang defends his
Ph.D. on 19 June.