Cell Mechanics and Adhesion

Red Blood Cell and Bead Manipulation

In this video, a red blood cell is pinned down to the petri dish floor by two traps while a third one is used to stretch the cell membrane.

With the 'Multiplexing' feature of the NanoTracker optical tweezers platform, three time-shared traps are generated. While two of the time shared traps pin down the red blood cell onto the surface, a third trap with an amine-modified bead in it pulls at the cell membrane. In this way an external stress is applied onto the membrane. All of the deformation is done without destroying the cell.

Yeast Cell Manipulation

In this video, a yeast cell is directly trapped and with controlled speed and direction is brought in a contact with a glass wall. This is a model experiment of using NanoTracker optical tweezers in implant materials research, biofouling etc.

CHO Cells Elasticity Map with 10 µm Bead

10 µm bead was used to perform a elasticity map on CHO cells. Imaged with the CellHesion AFM.

• Top: Optical phase contrast image
• Bottom left: Height map image
• Bottom right: Elasticity map image
  

Cell Elasticity Measurement

Cell elasticity measurements on fibroblast cells. Hertz fit was used to determine a Young´s Modulus of 2kPa. Imaged with the CellHesion AFM.

• Left: Optical phase image
• Right: Force-distance curve
  

MDCK Cell

Adhesion measurement of cell-cell interaction between MDCK cells. Imaged with the CellHesion AFM.

• Top: Optical phase contrast image
• Bottom left: Adhesion image
• Bottom right: Step-fitting image
  

CHO Cell - Collagen Binding

CHO cell bound to the cantilever with ConA, collagen-coated surface. Imaged with the CellHesion AFM.

• Top: Optical image of a CHO cell attached to a TL1 cantilever using ConA
• Bottom Left: Adhesion curve for a contact time of 5s, axes on the same scale as the 60s binding curve
• Bottom Right: Adhesion curve for a contact time of 60s, with step fitting results superimposed
  

Melanoma Cell - Endothelial Cell

Force curve of a melanoma cell on the cantilever adhering to an endothelial cell on the surface. Imaged with the CellHesion AFM.