Single-molecule fluorescence was invented in the 1990s and has quickly developed into an indispensable technique in the biomedical sciences and condensed-matter research. It has revolutionized... Show moreSingle-molecule fluorescence was invented in the 1990s and has quickly developed into an indispensable technique in the biomedical sciences and condensed-matter research. It has revolutionized the fields of molecular biology, imaging (super-resolution), and catalysis, to name a few. In this thesis, we will apply fluorescence enhancement by single gold nanorods to extend single-molecule studies to chromophores with low fluorescence quantum yields and to high concentrations of probe molecules. Following single-molecule trajectories, we will explore variations in the electron-transfer rates of the metalloprotein azurin both from molecule to molecule and for the same molecule as a function of time. Evidence for conformational substates will be discussed based on dynamic heterogeneity. Show less
