Regensburg 2004 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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AKB: Biologische Physik

AKB 30: Biomaterials and Bioengineering

AKB 30.4: Hauptvortrag

Mittwoch, 10. März 2004, 16:00–16:30, H40

Feeling for Cells with Light — •Jochen Guck, Falk Wottawah, Kort Travis, Stefan Schinkinger, Frank Sauer, Bryan Lincoln, and Susanne Ebert — Fakultät für Physik und Geowissenschaften, Univeristät Leipzig

The relationship between the mechanical properties of cells and their molecular architecture has been the focus of extensive research for decades. Especially the cytoskeleton, an internal polymer network, determines a cell’s mechanical strength and morphology. This cytoskeleton evolves during the normal differentiation of cells, is involved in many cellular functions, and is characteristically altered in many diseases, including cancer. We can exploit this link between function and elasticity to distinguish between different cells using an optical stretcher, a new laser tool optimized to deform hundreds of single cells per hour by optically induced surface forces. Optical deformability is sensitive enough to monitor the subtle changes during the progression of individual human breast epithelial cells from normal to cancerous and even metastatic state. The surprisingly low numbers of cells required for this distinction reflects the tight regulation of the cytoskeleton by the cell. This suggests using optical deformability as an inherent cell marker for basic cell biological investigation and diagnosis of disease.