Microrheology of red blood cell membranes using dynamic scattering microscopy

We employ a novel optical technique, dynamic scattering microscopy (DSM), to extract the frequency dependence of the viscoelastic modulus associated with the red blood cell membrane. This approach applies the principle of dynamic light scattering to micro beads attached to the red blood cell membrane in thermal fluctuation. This allows for highthroughput characterization of a large number of cells simultaneously, which represents a significant advantage over current methods. The results in terms of the effective loss and storage moduli indicate the generic behavior of a viscoelastic material, characterized by power laws with exponents between 0 and 1.