Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Quantifying intracellular mechanosensitive response upon spatially defined mechano-chemical triggering.

eLife·2026

Same author

Advancing mechanobiology from single molecules to complex cellular systems.

Nature nanotechnology·2026

Same author

Traction Force Microscopy for Viscoelastic Substrates: A Semi-Analytical Method.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2026

Same author

A vitronectin-functionalized ECM-mimetic hydrogel platform for modelling integrin-dependent tumour responses to cilengitide.

Materials today. Bio·2026

Same author

Erratum: Wide-field and non-invasive imaging of brain tumours with scattered light techniques: erratum.

Biomedical optics express·2026

Same author

International Forum on Visceral Myopathy 2024: Advances in the Knowledge of the Disease.

Neurogastroenterology and motility·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 4, 2025

Experimental and Data Analysis Workflow for Soft Matter Nanoindentation

Experimental and Data Analysis Workflow for Soft Matter Nanoindentation

Published on: January 18, 2022

Experimental and Data Analysis Workflow for Soft Matter Nanoindentation.

Giuseppe Ciccone¹, Mariana Azevedo Gonzalez Oliva², Nelda Antonovaite³

¹Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment, James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow; g.ciccone.1@research.gla.ac.uk.

Journal of Visualized Experiments : Jove

|February 7, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study presents a protocol for nanoindentation on cells and hydrogels using optical fiber sensing technology. It also introduces open-source software for analyzing this mechanical property data.

More Related Videos

Atomic Force Microscopy Cantilever-Based Nanoindentation: Mechanical Property Measurements at the Nanoscale in Air and Fluid

Atomic Force Microscopy Cantilever-Based Nanoindentation: Mechanical Property Measurements at the Nanoscale in Air and Fluid

Published on: December 2, 2022

Quantitative Hardness Measurement by Instrumented AFM-indentation

Quantitative Hardness Measurement by Instrumented AFM-indentation

Published on: November 22, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 4, 2025

Experimental and Data Analysis Workflow for Soft Matter Nanoindentation

Experimental and Data Analysis Workflow for Soft Matter Nanoindentation

Published on: January 18, 2022

Atomic Force Microscopy Cantilever-Based Nanoindentation: Mechanical Property Measurements at the Nanoscale in Air and Fluid

Atomic Force Microscopy Cantilever-Based Nanoindentation: Mechanical Property Measurements at the Nanoscale in Air and Fluid

Published on: December 2, 2022

Quantitative Hardness Measurement by Instrumented AFM-indentation

Quantitative Hardness Measurement by Instrumented AFM-indentation

Published on: November 22, 2016

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Materials Science
Cell Biology

Background:

Nanoindentation quantifies local mechanical properties of soft biomaterials and cells at the micrometer scale.
Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a common but complex tool for nanoindentation, limiting routine Young's Modulus (E) measurements.
Optical fiber sensing nanoindenters offer ease of use and suitable resolution for probing cellular and hydrogel mechanics.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a detailed protocol for acquiring nanoindentation data on hydrogels and cells using an optical fiber sensing nanoindenter.
To introduce a new open-source Python software for analyzing nanoindentation data, including advanced single-cell analysis.
To facilitate routine mechanical characterization of soft biological materials.

Main Methods:

A step-by-step experimental protocol for ferrule-top optical fiber sensing nanoindentation.
Utilized a commercially available optical fiber sensing nanoindenter for data acquisition.
Developed and employed open-source Python software with a graphical user interface for data analysis.

Main Results:

A comprehensive protocol for nanoindentation on hydrogels and cells was detailed.
The developed software enables data screening, filtering, contact point computation, and Young's Modulus (E) calculation.
Advanced analysis options are available for single-cell nanoindentation data.

Conclusions:

Optical fiber sensing nanoindenters provide a user-friendly approach for mechanical characterization of soft biomaterials.
The presented open-source software simplifies and enhances the analysis of nanoindentation data.
This work facilitates broader application of nanoindentation in mechanobiology, biomaterials design, and tissue engineering.