The application of optical traps has come to the fore in the last three decades. They provide a powerful, sterile and noninvasive tool forthe manipulation of cells, single biological macromolecules, colloidal microparticles and nanoparticles. An optically trapped microsphere may act as a force transducer that is used to measure forces in the piconewton regime. By setting up a well-calibrated single-beam optical trap within a fluorescence microscope system, one can measure forces and collect fluorescence signals upon biological systems simultaneously. In this protocol, we aim to provide a clear exposition of the methodology of assembling and operating a single-beam gradient force trap (optical tweezers) on an inverted fluorescence microscope. A step-by-step guide is given for alignment and operation, with discussion of common pitfalls. © 2007 Nature Publishing Group.
CITATION STYLE
Lee, W. M., Reece, P. J., Marchington, R. F., Metzger, N. K., & Dholakia, K. (2007). Construction and calibration of an optical trap on a fluorescence optical microscope. Nature Protocols, 2(12), 3226–3238. https://doi.org/10.1038/nprot.2007.446
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