Optical Manipulation of Cells: Strategies and Devices

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "B:Biology and Biomedicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2018) | Viewed by 27821

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie (IFN)-CNR, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
Interests: fluorescence imaging; photonics; microfluidics; biophotonics; optical manipulation of cells; lab on a chip
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies, CNR, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
Interests: femtosecond laser micromachining; integrated optics; optofluidics; lab on a chip
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since the first demonstration of an optical trap in 1970, optical manipulation has been used in several applications; thus, evolving from an interesting research topic to a widely-used tool, above all in the biological field. The momentum transfer resulting from light scattering from objects in the micrometer scale allows the manipulation of microscopic samples, such as cells. In particular, the ability to isolate, rotate, sort and analyse single cells without contact allowed unravelling the heterogeneity present even in nominally homogeneous populations of cells. Optical traps can be easily combined with different analysis techniques like for example imaging for detailed single cell inspection or can be exploited to probe single cell mechanical properties. Moreover, the synergy between optical forces and microfluidics is enabling the development of integrated devices where large amounts of cells can be analyzed without any damage to the sample. Accordingly, this Special Issue aims to highlight the latest achievements in the optical manipulation of cells. It looks for research papers, short communications, and review articles that focus on novel strategies and techniques for the manipulation of single cells and new routes for its implementation in integrated platforms.

Dr. Francesca Bragheri
Dr. Rebeca Martínez Vázquez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Optical manipulation
  • Optical forces
  • Single cell analysis
  • Lab-on-chip
  • Integrated optical trap

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 5500 KiB  
Article
Single Cell Isolation Using Optical Tweezers
by Anusha Keloth, Owen Anderson, Donald Risbridger and Lynn Paterson
Micromachines 2018, 9(9), 434; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9090434 - 29 Aug 2018
Cited by 65 | Viewed by 7068
Abstract
Optical tweezers offer a non-contact method for selecting single cells and translocating them from one microenvironment to another. We have characterized the optical tweezing of yeast S. cerevisiae and can manipulate single cells at 0.41 ± 0.06 mm/s using a 26.8 ± 0.1 [...] Read more.
Optical tweezers offer a non-contact method for selecting single cells and translocating them from one microenvironment to another. We have characterized the optical tweezing of yeast S. cerevisiae and can manipulate single cells at 0.41 ± 0.06 mm/s using a 26.8 ± 0.1 mW from a 785 nm diode laser. We have fabricated and tested three cell isolation devices; a micropipette, a PDMS chip and a laser machined fused silica chip and we have isolated yeast, single bacteria and cyanobacteria cells. The most effective isolation was achieved in PDMS chips, where single yeast cells were grown and observed for 18 h without contamination. The duration of budding in S. cerevisiae was not affected by the laser parameters used, but the time from tweezing until the first budding event began increased with increasing laser energy (laser power × time). Yeast cells tweezed using 25.0 ± 0.1 mW for 1 min were viable after isolation. We have constructed a micro-consortium of yeast cells, and a co-culture of yeast and bacteria, using optical tweezers in combination with the PDMS network of channels and isolation chambers, which may impact on both industrial biotechnology and understanding pathogen dynamics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Manipulation of Cells: Strategies and Devices)
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11 pages, 4352 KiB  
Article
New Detector Sensitivity Calibration and the Calculation of the Interaction Force between Particles Using an Optical Tweezer
by Pavel Yale, Jean-Michel Edoukoua Konin, Michel Abaka Kouacou and Jérémie Thouakesseh Zoueu
Micromachines 2018, 9(9), 425; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9090425 - 24 Aug 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3300
Abstract
We propose a new approach to calculate the sensitivity factor of the detector in optical tweezers. In this work, we used a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera and a quadrant photodiode (QPD) for the extraction of the various positions occupied by the trapped object [...] Read more.
We propose a new approach to calculate the sensitivity factor of the detector in optical tweezers. In this work, we used a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera and a quadrant photodiode (QPD) for the extraction of the various positions occupied by the trapped object (in this case, silica beads of different diameters). Image-J software and the Boltzmann statistical method were then used to estimate the sensitivity of the detector. Silica beads of diameter 0.8 µm, 2 µm, a system of 2 µm bead stuck to 4.5 µm one and another system of 2 µm beads stuck to 2 µm one, were studied. This work contributes significantly to making better calibration of the detector without taking into account the geometry of the object imprisoned in the optical trap. We further developed an approach to calculate the interaction force between two microbeads. This approach does not require any knowledge of solvent viscosity and works for all types of samples. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Manipulation of Cells: Strategies and Devices)
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12 pages, 4460 KiB  
Article
Disposable Optical Stretcher Fabricated by Microinjection Moulding
by Gianluca Trotta, Rebeca Martínez Vázquez, Annalisa Volpe, Francesco Modica, Antonio Ancona, Irene Fassi and Roberto Osellame
Micromachines 2018, 9(8), 388; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9080388 - 04 Aug 2018
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3891
Abstract
Microinjection moulding combined with the use of removable inserts is one of the most promising manufacturing processes for microfluidic devices, such as lab-on-chip, that have the potential to revolutionize the healthcare and diagnosis systems. In this work, we have designed, fabricated and tested [...] Read more.
Microinjection moulding combined with the use of removable inserts is one of the most promising manufacturing processes for microfluidic devices, such as lab-on-chip, that have the potential to revolutionize the healthcare and diagnosis systems. In this work, we have designed, fabricated and tested a compact and disposable plastic optical stretcher. To produce the mould inserts, two micro manufacturing technologies have been used. Micro electro discharge machining (µEDM) was used to reproduce the inverse of the capillary tube connection characterized by elevated aspect ratio. The high accuracy of femtosecond laser micromachining (FLM) was exploited to manufacture the insert with perfectly aligned microfluidic channels and fibre slots, facilitating the final composition of the optical manipulation device. The optical stretcher operation was tested using microbeads and red blood cells solutions. The prototype presented in this work demonstrates the feasibility of this approach, which should guarantee real mass production of ready-to-use lab-on-chip devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Manipulation of Cells: Strategies and Devices)
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Review

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28 pages, 6123 KiB  
Review
Controlled Mechanical Motions of Microparticles in Optical Tweezers
by Jing Liu and Zhiyuan Li
Micromachines 2018, 9(5), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9050232 - 12 May 2018
Cited by 41 | Viewed by 8111
Abstract
Optical tweezers, formed by a highly focused laser beam, have intriguing applications in biology and physics. Inspired by molecular rotors, numerous optical beams and artificial particles have been proposed to build optical tweezers trapping microparticles, and extensive experiences have been learned towards constructing [...] Read more.
Optical tweezers, formed by a highly focused laser beam, have intriguing applications in biology and physics. Inspired by molecular rotors, numerous optical beams and artificial particles have been proposed to build optical tweezers trapping microparticles, and extensive experiences have been learned towards constructing precise, stable, flexible and controllable micromachines. The mechanism of interaction between particles and localized light fields is quite different for different types of particles, such as metal particles, dielectric particles and Janus particles. In this article, we present a comprehensive overview of the latest development on the fundamental and application of optical trapping. The emphasis is placed on controllable mechanical motions of particles, including rotation, translation and their mutual coupling under the optical forces and torques created by a wide variety of optical tweezers operating on different particles. Finally, we conclude by proposing promising directions for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Manipulation of Cells: Strategies and Devices)
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21 pages, 2147 KiB  
Review
Particle Manipulation by Optical Forces in Microfluidic Devices
by Petra Paiè, Tommaso Zandrini, Rebeca Martínez Vázquez, Roberto Osellame and Francesca Bragheri
Micromachines 2018, 9(5), 200; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi9050200 - 24 Apr 2018
Cited by 37 | Viewed by 5015
Abstract
Since the pioneering work of Ashkin and coworkers, back in 1970, optical manipulation gained an increasing interest among the scientific community. Indeed, the advantages and the possibilities of this technique are unsubtle, allowing for the manipulation of small particles with a broad spectrum [...] Read more.
Since the pioneering work of Ashkin and coworkers, back in 1970, optical manipulation gained an increasing interest among the scientific community. Indeed, the advantages and the possibilities of this technique are unsubtle, allowing for the manipulation of small particles with a broad spectrum of dimensions (nanometers to micrometers size), with no physical contact and without affecting the sample viability. Thus, optical manipulation rapidly found a large set of applications in different fields, such as cell biology, biophysics, and genetics. Moreover, large benefits followed the combination of optical manipulation and microfluidic channels, adding to optical manipulation the advantages of microfluidics, such as a continuous sample replacement and therefore high throughput and automatic sample processing. In this work, we will discuss the state of the art of these optofluidic devices, where optical manipulation is used in combination with microfluidic devices. We will distinguish on the optical method implemented and three main categories will be presented and explored: (i) a single highly focused beam used to manipulate the sample, (ii) one or more diverging beams imping on the sample, or (iii) evanescent wave based manipulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Manipulation of Cells: Strategies and Devices)
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