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Related Concept Videos

Atomic Force Microscopy01:08

Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a type of scanning probe microscopy that can analyze topographic details of various specimens like ceramics, glass, polymers, and biological samples. AFM offers over 1000 times more resolution than the optical imaging system. Images generated from AFM are three-dimensional surface profiles, offering an advantage over the flat, two-dimensional images from other imaging techniques.
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...

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Fabrication and Implementation of a Reference-Free Traction Force Microscopy Platform
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Massive field-of-view sub-cellular traction force videography enabled by Single-Pixel Optical Tracers (SPOT).

Xing Haw Marvin Tan1, Yijie Wang2, Xiongfeng Zhu3

  • 1Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States; Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States; Department of Electronics and Photonics, Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 1 Fusionopolis Way, 138632, Singapore.

Biosensors & Bioelectronics
|May 3, 2024
PubMed
Summary

A new platform measures sub-cellular forces in thousands of cells at high speed. This tool revealed heterogeneous activation times in cardiac tissue, impacting spiral wave behavior.

Keywords:
Bio-MEMSCell traction forceDiffraction grating

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cellular Mechanics
  • Bioengineering

Background:

  • Understanding cell mechanics is crucial for tissue engineering and disease research.
  • Existing methods for measuring cellular forces often lack high throughput or speed.
  • Sub-cellular force measurement provides insights into cell-cell interactions and tissue dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a novel high-throughput, high-speed platform for measuring sub-cellular traction forces.
  • To analyze mechanical wave propagation and cellular activation patterns in biological tissues.

Main Methods:

  • Developed the Single-Pixel Optical Tracers (SPOT) tool using 2D diffraction gratings in a soft substrate.
  • Employed massive field-of-view, high-speed videography to capture optical signals converted from cell forces.
  • Applied the platform to measure forces from over 10,000 cells across 13 mm² at 83 frames per second.

Main Results:

  • Successfully measured sub-cellular traction forces in diverse cell types, including tissue sheets and isolated cells.
  • Observed heterogeneous activation times within Neonatal Rat Ventricular Myocytes (NRVMs) tissue sheets.
  • Demonstrated the platform's capability to analyze mechanical wave propagation and its impact on spiral wave behavior.

Conclusions:

  • The SPOT platform enables unprecedented scale and speed in sub-cellular force measurement.
  • Heterogeneous cellular activation is a key factor influencing cardiac wave dynamics.
  • This technology opens new avenues for studying cell mechanics in complex biological systems.