Publication

Blog posts

Measure interaction strength between target cell and TCR T-cell in HPV-related cancers with the z-Movi^®

In a recent review article in Immunology, Fakhr et al. presented the z-Movi® Cell Avidity Analyzer as a solution to characterize T-cell populations by measuring the binding strength between immune and cancer cells using non-invasive acoustic force. Binding events between a T-cell and its target cell determine the initiation of…

Adrià Ferragut26 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

Blog posts

The softening effect of vimentin filament phosphorylation measured with the C-Trap^®

A recent study published in the journal Nanoscale shows how post-translational phosphorylation and proteins binding phosphorylated sites regulate the stiffness of vimentin filaments. The researchers combined several analytical approaches and instruments, including the C-Trap® optical tweezers, to define the role of these modifications and interactions on the mechanical properties of vimentin. Apart from contributing…

j.yeh16 February 2021

Blog posts

Evaluation of protein droplet viscoelasticity with the C-Trap^® reveals new material properties

A recent publication in Science describes a new glass-like structural behavior that protein droplets can adopt, regulating their biochemical behavior as they age. Specifically, through rheological measurements using the C-Trap® optical tweezers, the researchers discovered material properties that may help cells respond to a dynamic molecular environment. The findings offer essential insights into the…

j.yeh16 February 2021

Blog posts

Coordinated stimulation of RAD51 filament assembly and growth revealed with the C-Trap^®

A recent study published in Molecular Cell used dynamic single-molecule analysis to evaluate the roles of specific proteins involved in the initiating steps of homologous recombination, including nucleation and growth of RAD51 filaments. Specifically, the researchers used the C-Trap® optical tweezers with correlated confocal microscopy to evaluate the roles of RAD51 paralogues and BRCA2…

j.yeh16 February 2021

Blog posts

Researchers study the viscoelasticity of human cells as a response to external cues using the high-throughput AFS®

A recent publication in Small introduces you to the value of acoustic force spectroscopy (AFS®) to study the viscoelastic properties of individual cells in high throughput. The authors describe how they used this “plug-and-play” instrument to measure mechanical cell properties upon external cues seamlessly. Romanov et al. specifically assessed how alterations to…

j.yeh16 February 2021

Blog posts

Distal bridging between nucleosomes by polycomb complex PRC2 identified with the C-Trap^®

A recent study published in PNAS used single-molecule force spectroscopy to examine unknown interaction mechanisms between polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) and chromatin. The authors evaluated arrays of multiple nucleosomes using their C-Trap® optical tweezers system and identified distal nucleosome bridging by PRC2. The findings provide a better understanding of…

j.yeh3 December 2020

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

Blog posts

Force-dependent actin filament-binding by α-catenin recorded with the C-Trap^®

A recent publication in the journal eLife describes a multidisciplinary study evaluating how the mechanical properties of actin filaments regulate the binding of associated proteins. Specifically, the researchers used the C-Trap® to demonstrate how applied forces on actin filaments enhance binding of cell–cell adhesion protein α-catenin, but not its homolog…

j.yeh15 October 2020

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