Journal article
Best practice mass photometry: a guide to optimal single-molecule mass measurement
- Abstract:
- Mass photometry (MP) has emerged as a powerful approach to study quaternary biomolecular structure, dynamics and interactions. The capabilities of the method ultimately hinge on the ability to accurately measure the tiny optical contrast generated by individual molecules at a glass–water interface, which enables mass-resolved quantification of biomolecular mixtures. Ideally, this capability is limited only by photon shot noise, but in practice depends on additional parameters and details of the assay. Here, we focus on the key factors affecting MP performance and present simple steps that can be taken to achieve optimal MP measurements in terms of mass resolution, quantitative detection limit, reproducibility and analyte concentration range without compromising the speed and simplicity of the technique. Each sample takes <10 min to analyse, with an additionial 2 h if amination of the glass surface is desired.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
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- Files:
-
-
(Preview, Accepted manuscript, pdf, 734.7KB, Terms of use)
-
- Publisher copy:
- 10.1038/s41596-025-01255-4
Authors
+ Wellcome Trust
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- Funder identifier:
- https://ror.org/029chgv08
- Grant:
- 218514/Z/19/Z
+ European Research Council
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- Funder identifier:
- https://ror.org/0472cxd90
- Grant:
- 819593
+ UK Research and Innovation
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- Funder identifier:
- https://ror.org/001aqnf71
- Grant:
- EP/X025713/1
+ Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
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- Funder identifier:
- https://ror.org/0439y7842
- Grant:
- EP/T03419X/1
+ Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
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- Funder identifier:
- https://ror.org/00cwqg982
- Grant:
- BB/W00349X/1
- Publisher:
- Springer Nature
- Journal:
- Nature Protocols More from this journal
- Publication date:
- 2025-10-13
- Acceptance date:
- 2025-07-29
- DOI:
- EISSN:
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1750-2799
- ISSN:
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1754-2189
- Pmid:
-
41083772
- Language:
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English
- Keywords:
- Pubs id:
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2300677
- Local pid:
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pubs:2300677
- Source identifiers:
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W4415126684
- Deposit date:
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2026-04-27
- ARK identifier:
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- Springer Nature Limited
- Copyright date:
- 2025
- Rights statement:
- Copyright © 2025, Springer Nature Limited
- Notes:
- The author accepted manuscript (AAM) of this paper has been made available under the University of Oxford's Open Access Publications Policy, and a CC BY public copyright licence has been applied.
- Licence:
- CC Attribution (CC BY)
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