Optical tweezers

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Dynamic single-molecule experiments expose catch bonds as key to cell strength and flexibility

In a recent Nature Materials publication, scientists show for the first time how certain types of molecular bonds known as “catch bonds” make it possible for cells to combine both mechanical strength to withstand forces and adaptability to change shape and move. By performing dynamic single-molecule experiments with LUMICKS’ C-Trap®,…

Chenlu Yu13 October 2022

Blog posts

C-Trap^® experiments suggest tubulin lattice state dictates tau envelope formation

Tau is an intrinsically disordered microtubule-associated protein (MAP) that helps stabilize microtubules by forming an envelope around them. This stabilizing protein has been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, where abnormal chemical changes promote detachment of tau from microtubules and the formation of long threads that eventually lead to…

Chenlu Yu22 September 2022

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m-Trap^® allows precise control of biological activities in synthetic membraneless organelles (MLOs) in real time

Until recently, the understanding of membraneless organelles (MLOs) was hindered by the inability to control their bioactivities in a precise manner. In a recent Nature Communications article from the lab of Huang and Sun, University of Hong Kong, researchers were able to overcome this obstacle by producing synthetic MLOs that…

j.yeh23 August 2022

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Dynamic single-molecule analysis reveals non-linear stiffening of mitotic chromosomes

In a recent study performed by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the University of Copenhagen, researchers used LUMICKS’ u-Flux™ laminar flow microfluidics system together with optical tweezers and fluorescence microscopy – features combined in LUMICKS’ C-Trap® – to shed light on the structural organization of mitotic chromosomes. When preparing to undergo…

Chenlu Yu17 June 2022

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C-Trap^® studies reveal GroEL-ES protein folding acceleration mechanism

In a recent Science Advances publication, the group of Sander J. Tans from the AMOLF Institute, The Netherlands, demonstrate for the first time, at the single molecule level, how the molecular chaperone GroEL-ES modulates protein chain collapse and stimulates protein folding. Using LUMICKS’ C-Trap®, they were able to follow and visualize…

Chenlu Yu17 May 2022

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Exploring biomolecular condensate dynamics with the C-Trap^® reveals viscoelastic fluid behavior

In a recent article published in Nature Communications by the group of Huan-Xiang Zhou from the University of Illinois, Dr. Archishman Ghosh and co-workers provided insights into the dynamics of biomolecular condensates. Using LUMICKS’ C-Trap® with a dual-trap optical tweezer configuration they obtained direct evidence showing that phase-separated biopolymer condensates…

Chenlu Yu31 March 2022

C-Trap reveals mechanism of protein-DNA co-condensate formation.

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C-Trap^® experiments reveal mechanism of protein-DNA co-condensate formation

In a recent publication in PNAS, researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) and the Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) shed light on how proteins interact with individual DNA molecules to form co-condensates. Using LUMICKS’ C-Trap®, which combines optical tweezers, confocal microscopy, and…

Chenlu Yu16 March 2022

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C-Trap^® experiments reveal how a pioneer transcription factor interacts with DNA to regulate gene expression

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, Germany, led by Stephan W. Grill, have shed light on the physical nature of the interaction between the pioneer transcription factor Klf4 (Krüppel-like factor 4) and DNA. Using the C-Trap®, which combines optical tweezers, confocal microscopy…

Chenlu Yu23 February 2022

Blog posts

ZAP-S binding prevents the refolding of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, inhibits programmed ribosomal frameshifting

A new Nature Communications article sheds light into the mechanisms that govern programmed ribosomal frameshifting (PRF) in SARS-CoV-2 virus, as demonstrated by C-Trap experiments.

j.yeh13 December 2021

Blog posts

New study highlights interconvertible RecA–ssDNA states with the help of u-Flux™ microfluidics

A recent publication in FEBS Letters describes how the presence of ADP and ATP affects the structural transitions that single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) undergoes upon RecA-filament assembly. The researchers used the u-Flux™ Laminar Flow Microfluidics combined with optical tweezers to demonstrate that the bacterial homologous recombination-enzyme exists in two interconvertible states.…

j.yeh29 October 2020

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