Philip Tinnefeld, LMU Munich
 

In recent years, single-molecule fluorescence techniques have climbed the ladder of complexity enabling the investigation of problems of increasing diversity. In many areas a more detailed understanding is obtained studying the objects of interest one by one. In this context the extension of single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy (SMFS) to study the interactions of two and more molecules is used to understand heterogeneity in molecular energy transfer devices, i.e. photonic wires, and to study structure and dynamics of biomolecular complexes. Finally, a new picture of one of the most aggravating problems in demanding fluorescence applications, i.e. photobleaching, is presented. Almost complete suppression of blinking and minimization of bleaching will further extend the applicability of SMFS.