| 1. |
- Volpe, Giovanni, 1979, et al.
(author)
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Roadmap for optical tweezers
- 2023
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In: Journal of Physics-Photonics. - : IOP Publishing. - 2515-7647. ; 5:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Optical tweezers are tools made of light that enable contactless pushing, trapping, and manipulation of objects, ranging from atoms to space light sails. Since the pioneering work by Arthur Ashkin in the 1970s, optical tweezers have evolved into sophisticated instruments and have been employed in a broad range of applications in the life sciences, physics, and engineering. These include accurate force and torque measurement at the femtonewton level, microrheology of complex fluids, single micro- and nano-particle spectroscopy, single-cell analysis, and statistical-physics experiments. This roadmap provides insights into current investigations involving optical forces and optical tweezers from their theoretical foundations to designs and setups. It also offers perspectives for applications to a wide range of research fields, from biophysics to space exploration.
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| 2. |
- Ramos, C. H., et al.
(author)
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The environment topography alters the way to multicellularity in Myxococcus xanthus
- 2021
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In: Science Advances. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 2375-2548. ; 7:35
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The social soil-dwelling bacterium Myxococcus xanthus can form multicellular structures, known as fruiting bodies. Experiments in homogeneous environments have shown that this process is affected by the physicochemical properties of the substrate, but they have largely neglected the role of complex topographies. We experimentally demonstrate that the topography alters single-cell motility and multicellular organization in M. xanthus. In topographies realized by randomly placing silica particles over agar plates, we observe that the cells' interaction with particles drastically modifies the dynamics of cellular aggregation, leading to changes in the number, size, and shape of the fruiting bodies and even to arresting their formation in certain conditions. We further explore this type of cell-particle interaction in a computational model. These results provide fundamental insights into how the environment topography influences the emergence of complex multicellular structures from single cells, which is a fundamental problem of biological, ecological, and medical relevance.
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| 3. |
- Gieseler, J., et al.
(author)
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Optical tweezers - from calibration to applications: a tutorial
- 2021
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In: Advances in Optics and Photonics. - : Optica Publishing Group. - 1943-8206. ; 13:1, s. 74-241
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Since their invention in 1986 by Arthur Ashkin and colleagues, optical tweezers have become an essential tool in several fields of physics, spectroscopy, biology, nanotechnology, and thermodynamics. In this tutorial, we provide a primer on how to calibrate optical tweezers and how to use them for advanced applications. After a brief general introduction on optical tweezers, we focus on describing and comparing the various available calibration techniques. Then, we discuss some cutting-edge applications of optical tweezers in a liquid medium, namely, to study single-molecule and single-cell mechanics, microrheology, colloidal interactions, statistical physics, and transport phenomena. Finally, we consider optical tweezers in vacuum, where the absence of a viscous medium offers vastly different dynamics and presents new challenges. We conclude with some perspectives for the field and the future applications of optical tweezers. This tutorial provides both a step-by-step guide ideal for non-specialists entering the field and a comprehensive manual of advanced techniques useful for expert practitioners. All of the examples are complemented by the sample data and software necessary to reproduce them. (C) 2021 Optical Society of America.
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