Dresden 2011 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 12: Posters: New Technologies

BP 12.7: Poster

Monday, March 14, 2011, 17:15–20:00, P3

Combining Optical Trapping and Confocal Microscopy — •Constantin Spille, Florian Rehfeldt, and Christoph F. Schmidt — Drittes Physikalisches Institut, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany

Mechano-sensing and force transduction play an essential role in many cellular processes but the microscopic mechanisms are not yet understood. Acto-myosin stress fibers are key players in the physical response to the mechanical micro-environment. Optical trapping allows us to accurately measure forces exerted by the cell on trapped silica beads with pN accuracy and high time resolution. However, the cellular processes responsible for the forces cannot be resolved with a normal epifluorescence microscope due to the spherical shape of the cells when suspended in solution. We therefore built a dual optical trap into a commercial confocal microscope to be able to combine confocal scanning with optical trapping. We here discuss basic design considerations and show proof-of-principle data.