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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 30: Posters: Physics of Cells
BP 30.10: Poster
Thursday, March 17, 2011, 17:15–20:00, P3
Cell stretching with a vertical optical trap — •Kai Bodensiek1, Schanila Nawaz1,2, Mikael Simons2, and Iwan A. T. Schaap1 — 1Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany — 2Max-Planck Institute for experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
Multiple methods are available to measure cell mechanics. Since most of them operate in the nano-Newton range or higher, they will not only measure but also affect the properties of the cell. Here we describe a method, based on an optical trap to measure the cell response at forces below 20 pN. In contrast to conventional optical trapping is which the bead is moved in the horizontal plane, we have built an instrument in which the bead motion can be manipulated and detected in the vertical direction (perpendicular to the microscope coverslip). Thus a surface bound cell can be compressed or stretched between a single optically trapped bead and the surface; we will present first results obtained on 3T3 fibroblasts. In addition we will present routines to detect contact between the bead and the cell, and methods to minimize the effects of Fabry-Pérot interference between the bead and the surface that is caused by the coherent nature of the laser light.