You can use optical tweezers to trap and move microscopic objects in space using the attractive and repulsive forces exerted by a laser beam. For example, trap a microscopic polystyrene bead and guide it in proximity to a cell, or trap small components within a multicellular organism to study cellular functions and properties. Correlating the optical tweezers with fluorescence and label-free microscopy enables you to visualize every step of the cellular processes while at the same time measuring and manipulating them in real time. Use the optical tweezers – fluorescence and label-free microscopy, to study cell properties in different contexts:
- Apply external forces to manipulate cell surfaces and follow cellular components simultaneously with multi-color confocal microscopy.
- Measure forces associated with filopodia formation and track their interactions using fluorescence microscopy.
- Trap and manipulate small components and organelle structures in multicellular organisms using brightfield microscopy.
- Control the temperature and finetune the laser intensity to provide relevant physiological and harmless conditions.