Characterising biomolecular interactions and dynamics with mass photometry

We review recent advances in our ability to characterise biomolecular structure, interactions and associated dynamics by mass photometry (MP), the label-free detection and mass measurement of individual biomolecules in solution. Molecular counting and identification provides direct access to relative abundance, and thereby affinities, while associated dynamics yield on- and off-rates. The molecular resolution afforded by MP enables these measurements as a function of stoichiometry and assembly at equilibrium, as opposed to the majority of existing solution-based methods. Together with future improvements in terms of assays and technological performance, MP is likely to provide mechanistic details of complex biomolecular processes.

Automated summary

This article reviews recent advances in characterizing biomolecular structure, interactions, and dynamics using mass photometry (MP), which enables label-free detection and mass measurement of individual biomolecules in solution. Molecular counting and identification provide information on relative abundance and affinities, while dynamics offer insights into on- and off-rates. The molecular resolution of MP allows these measurements to be performed as a function of stoichiometry and assembly at equilibrium, which is different from many existing solution-based methods. With further improvements in assays and technological performance, MP is expected to provide mechanistic details of complex biomolecular processes.