Dynamic force spectroscopy of molecular adhesion bonds

Recent advances in atomic force microscopy, biomembrane force probe experim ents, and optical tweezers allow one to measure the response of single mole cules to mechanical stress with high precision. Such experiments, due to li mited spatial resolution, typically access only one single force value in a continuous force profile that characterizes the molecular response along a reaction coordinate. We develop a theory that allows one to reconstruct fo rce profiles from force spectra obtained from measurements at varying loadi ng rates, without requiring increased resolution. We show that spectra obta ined from measurements with different spring constants contain complementar y information.