C-Trap

Blog posts

ssRNA significantly decreases RNA G-quadruplex stability measured by C-Trap^®

A recent article published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters provides insight into the stability and folding dynamics of RNA G-quadruplexes (RG4). Using the C-Trap® optical tweezers, Ye et al. investigated the influence of a proximal single-stranded (ss) RNA sequence and found that its existence significantly impairs RG4 stability.…

j.yeh24 June 2021

Blog posts

Two Chinese universities now equipped with a C-Trap^® system

We are very pleased to announce two new C-Trap® installations in China, one at the Microscopy Core Facility at Westlake University and one at the Institute of Advanced Studies at Soochow University. We begin with the group of Dr. Huizhong Xu at the Institute of Advanced Studies, Soochow University. Their…

Adrià Ferragut15 June 2021

Blog posts

C-Trap^® reveals how HP1α-mediated heterochromatin modulates its stability in response to applied forces

In a recent publication by Keenen et al. in eLife, the authors uncover the biophysical properties of heterochromatin protein 1α (HP1α) and present a new model on how it mediates DNA condensation and phase separation. Employing a combination of ensemble and single-molecule assays, they found that within phase-separated HP1α-DNA condensates,…

j.yeh9 June 2021

Blog posts

New insights into the dynamics of initial replisome assembly uncovered by the C-Trap^®

In a recent article published in Nature Communications, Sanchez et al. successfully employed LUMICKS’ C-Trap® to discover new insights into the molecular dynamics of initial replisome formation. In a collaborative effort between Prof. Dekker (TU Delft) and Prof. Diffley (Francis Crick Institute) laboratories, the scientists uncovered that origin recognition complex…

j.yeh18 May 2021

Blog posts

Three C-Trap^® systems installed in the US East Coast

We are excited to share that three more institutes on the US East Coast are now equipped with a C-Trap® Optical Tweezers – Fluorescence Microscope! The three new instruments are now housed at a new core facility at MSKCC, at the NanoSystems Laboratory at the OSU, and at the UPMC-Hillman Cancer…

j.yeh17 May 2021

C-Trap® installed at Imperial College London, UK

Blog posts

LUMICKS DSM technologies installed in South East UK

We are happy to share our news about the most recent C-Trap® and m-Trap® installations in the UK! We’ll start with the recently installed C-Trap system at the MRC-London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London that is used by the cell biologists and biochemists at the group of Prof. Luis…

Adrià Ferragut4 May 2021

C-Trap® installed at University of Groningen, NL

Blog posts

New C-Trap^® installation at the University of Groningen opens avenues for investigating the conformational cycle of chaperone proteins

We are thrilled to announce the installation of a C-Trap® at the University of Groningen, Netherlands, in the lab of Dr. Katarzyna (Kasia) Tych. The installed C-Trap combines optical tweezers with 3-color fluorescence microscopy, which the team will use to investigate protein stabilities, molecular chaperoning, and conformational regulation. They plan…

Adrià Ferragut23 March 2021

Blog posts

Recent m-Trap^® installation at the University of Liège will unlock new potential in dynamic folding experiments

We are happy to announce the recent installation of the m-Trap® at the University of Liège, Belgium, in the lab of Prof. Dr. Anne-Sophie Duwez. The installed m-Trap will provide her team with ultra-high force resolution and stability for their research in single-molecule mechanical unfolding experiments and the means to…

Adrià Ferragut16 March 2021

ROS activation in macrophages optical tweezers fluorescence microscopy

Blog posts

Early activation of single macrophages captured by the C-Trap^®

In a recent article published in Small Methods, researchers reveal a method that uniquely captures the early phase of oxidative stress response in macrophages. Employing the powerful combination of optical tweezers, confocal fluorescent microscopy, and microfluidics of the C-Trap®, they measured the real-time intracellular response of individual macrophages to a…

j.yeh11 March 2021

Blog posts

Researchers identify KIF1A properties associated with neuron transport with the C-Trap^®

A recent article in Journal of Cell Biology (JCB) describes how researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine measured the force-generating properties of KIF1A, a kinesin-3 motor known to transport synaptic vesicle precursors in neurons. Using the C-Trap® optical tweezers and motility assays, the researchers identified the mechanical properties of…

j.yeh25 February 2021

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