Dresden 2009 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 18: Regulation and Signaling
BP 18.8: Talk
Thursday, March 26, 2009, 12:00–12:15, HÜL 186
Cell stimulation with optically manipulated microsources — •Holger Kress1, Jin-Gyu Park1, Cecile Mejean1, Jason Forster1, Jason Park1, Spencer Walse1,2, Dianqing Wu1, Orion Weiner3, Tarek Fahmy1, and Eric Dufresne1 — 1Yale University, New Haven, USA — 2US Department of Agriculture, Parlier, USA — 3UC San Francisco, USA
Many cells can sense spatial and temporal heterogeneities in concentrations of soluble molecules. The cellular signal transduction which forms the basis of this ability consists of signaling cascades and loops whose length and time scales are largely unknown. The systematic investigation of these networks requires control over the chemical microenvironment of cells. We present a novel technique to create molecular concentration patterns that are chemically, spatially and temporally flexible. Our approach uses optically manipulated colloidal particles which act as microsources of soluble molecules. This technique for flexible cell stimulation is combined with quantitative live cell microscopy measurements of cellular responses. We demonstrate the method by inducing chemotaxis in neutrophils. We quantify the intracellular calcium release, actin distribution, shape and motility of single cells. The possibility for quantitative stimulus-response measurements on single cells makes this method applicable to a wide range of cell biological studies.