Measurement of force on biological systems by Optical tweezers (OT) (CAT#: STEM-MB-1296-WXH)

Introduction

Force and mechanical stress act on biological systems at very different length scales, from cells, down to single molecules, and up to entire organisms. In the last few decades, force has emerged as a fundamental regulatory factor for cell life. More generally, emerging evidence indicates that factors such as the force applied or the rigidity of the extracellular matrix determine the shape and function of cells and organisms. Classically, the regulation of biological systems is described through a series of biochemical signals and enzymatic reactions that direct the processes and cell fate.

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Principle Applications Procedure Materials Notes Related Products

Principle

Optical tweezers (originally called single-beam gradient force trap) are scientific instruments that use a highly focused laser beam to hold and move microscopic and sub-microscopic objects like atoms, nanoparticles and droplets, in a manner similar to tweezers. If the object is held in air or vacuum without additional support, it can be called optical levitation.
The laser light provides an attractive or repulsive force (typically on the order of piconewtons), depending on the relative refractive index between particle and surrounding medium. Levitation is possible if the force of the light counters the force of gravity. The trapped particles are usually micron-sized, or even smaller. Dielectric and absorbing particles can be trapped, too.

Applications

• Optical tweezers are used in biology and medicine (for example to grab and hold a single bacterium, a cell like a sperm cell or a blood cell, or a molecule like DNA).
• Nanoengineering and nanochemistry (to study and build materials from single molecules).
• Quantum optics and quantum optomechanics (to study the interaction of single particles with light).

Procedure

1.Sample preparation
2.Force Calibration
3.Measurement
4.Analysis

Materials

Optical tweezers

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