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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 2, 2025

Direct Force Measurements of Subcellular Mechanics in Confinement using Optical Tweezers

Direct Force Measurements of Subcellular Mechanics in Confinement using Optical Tweezers

Published on: August 31, 2021

Real-time imaging of cellular forces using optical interference.

Andrew T Meek¹, Nils M Kronenberg^1,2, Andrew Morton¹

¹SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, UK.

Nature Communications

|June 12, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a new imaging technique to visualize cellular forces. This method captures piconewton forces in real-time, enabling high-throughput mechanobiology studies.

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Last Updated: Nov 2, 2025

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Area of Science:

Mechanobiology
Cellular Biophysics
Imaging Technologies

Background:

Dynamic cellular processes are difficult to study due to limitations in current force-imaging tools.
Existing methods lack the speed and throughput needed for high-resolution mechanobiology.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce a novel, fast, interference-based force imaging method.
To enable real-time mapping of piconewton cellular forces with high temporal resolution.

Main Methods:

Illumination of an elastic deformable microcavity with two rapidly alternating wavelengths.
Real-time data acquisition and processing for force mapping.
Application to imaging macrophage podosomes and neonatal cardiomyocytes.

Main Results:

Successfully mapped piconewton forces exerted by macrophage podosomes.
Achieved 100 frames per second (fps) force imaging of beating neonatal cardiomyocytes.
Revealed sub-second force fluctuations and mechanical aspects of cardiomyocyte contractions.

Conclusions:

The developed technique provides unprecedented speed and throughput for cellular force imaging.
This method opens new avenues for investigating dynamic mechanobiology processes.
Potential applications include studying cell migration, tissue mechanics, and disease mechanisms.