Optical encoders are commonly used in macroscopic machines to make precise measurements of distance and velocity by translating motion into a periodic signal. Here we show how Forster resonance energy transfer can be used to implement this technique at the single-molecule scale. We incorporate a series of acceptor dye molecules into self-assembling DNA, and the periodic signal resulting from unhindered motion of a donor-labeled molecular motor provides nanometer-scale resolution in milliseconds.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2842186PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/nl904192mDOI Listing

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