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Study of Biomechanics of Fibrous Proteins of the Extracellular Matrix by Brillouin Scattering (CAT#: STEM-ST-0104-YJL)

Introduction

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is an important component of biological tissues. At a microscopic level, its mechanical properties are important in providing support for cells and in transmitting biomechanical signals, and the macroscopic properties of the extensive ECM of tissues such as tendons, cartilage and blood vessels are central to their biological functions. The ECM consists of networks of fibrous proteins, the collagens and elastic fibres, immersed in a viscoelastic gel, rich in proteoglycans. The collagens are a large family of proteins, characterized by disulfide-bonded triple-helical domains composed largely of proline- and hydroxyproline-containing repeat sequences. In the fibrous forms, of which type I collagen is the best-characterized and most ubiquitous representative, the molecules are regularly assembled both laterally and longitudinally and extensively cross-linked to form hierarchies of fibrils and fibres.




Principle

From a quantum point of view, Brillouin scattering is an interaction of light photons with acoustic or vibrational quanta (phonons), with magnetic spin waves (magnons), or with other low frequency quasiparticles interacting with light. The interaction consists of an inelastic scattering process in which a phonon or magnon is either created (Stokes process) or annihilated (anti-Stokes process). The energy of the scattered light is slightly changed, that is decreased for a Stokes process and increased for an anti-Stokes process. This shift, known as the Brillouin shift, is equal to the energy of the interacting phonon and magnon and thus Brillouin scattering can be used to measure phonon and magnon energies.

Applications

Brillouin scattering is used to determine acoustic velocities and elastic properties of a number of crystalline solids, glasses, and liquids.

Procedure

1. Sample preparation
2. Measurement by scattering detection instrument
3. Data analysis

Materials

Brillouin scattering measurement system (Brillouin spectrometer)