Regensburg 2016 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 19: Posters - Membranes and Vesicles

BP 19.3: Poster

Montag, 7. März 2016, 17:30–19:30, Poster C

Micropipettes as force sensors in biomechanical studies — •Christian Kreis, Marcin Makowski, Quentin Magdelaine, and Oliver Bäumchen — Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, 37077 Göttingen, Germany

The precise determination of acting forces is fundamentally important for the characterization of mechanical properties of soft matter and biological processes. Optical tweezers and AFM force probes can provide quantitative information on interactions on the micro- and nanoscale. However, these techniques are limited to objects within a certain force and size range. We design micropipette force sensors from glass capillaries and employ these to study the interactions of biological matter with interfaces. The technique enables us to manipulate macroscopic and microscopic objects, with a size range from µm to mm, while measuring forces in the range from pN to mN. Additionally, it allows for quantitative force-shape and force-deformation correlations, as it is purely based on optical high-resolution (and eventually high-speed) imaging involving image cross-correlation analysis. Thus, we can manipulate single cells, multicellular aggregates, cellular tissues and even macroscopic organisms while tracking simultaneously their dynamical response. Here, we present the technique itself, as well as the force calibration of the micropipettes. Finally, we also provide experimental results on the adhesion of eukaryotic flagella to solid surfaces, the propulsion forces of the microalgae Chlamydomonas and the elastic properties of multicellular Volvox colonies.