[Optical tweezers in biology and medicine]

Abstract

Optical trapping techniques provide unique means to manipulate biological particles such as virus, living cells and subcellular organelles. Another area of interest is the measurement of mechanical (elastic) properties of cell membranes, long strands of single DNA molecule, and filamentous proteins. One of the most attractive applications is the study of single motor molecules. With optical tweezers traps, one can measure the forces generated by single motor molecules such as kinesin and myosin, in the piconewton range and, for the first time, resolve their detailed stepping motion.