1
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Burchert JP, Frohn J, Rölleke U, Bruns H, Yu B, Gleber SC, Stange R, Busse M, Osterhoff M, Salditt T, Köster S. X-ray phase-contrast tomography of cells manipulated with an optical stretcher. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2024; 31:923-935. [PMID: 38861370 PMCID: PMC11226146 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577524003618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
X-rays can penetrate deeply into biological cells and thus allow for examination of their internal structures with high spatial resolution. In this study, X-ray phase-contrast imaging and tomography is combined with an X-ray-compatible optical stretcher and microfluidic sample delivery. Using this setup, individual cells can be kept in suspension while they are examined with the X-ray beam at a synchrotron. From the recorded holograms, 2D phase shift images that are proportional to the projected local electron density of the investigated cell can be calculated. From the tomographic reconstruction of multiple such projections the 3D electron density can be obtained. The cells can thus be studied in a hydrated or even living state, thus avoiding artifacts from freezing, drying or embedding, and can in principle also be subjected to different sample environments or mechanical strains. This combination of techniques is applied to living as well as fixed and stained NIH3T3 mouse fibroblasts and the effect of the beam energy on the phase shifts is investigated. Furthermore, a 3D algebraic reconstruction scheme and a dedicated mathematical description is used to follow the motion of the trapped cells in the optical stretcher for multiple rotations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Philipp Burchert
- Institute for X-ray PhysicsUniversity of GöttingenFriedrich-Hund-Platz 137077GöttingenGermany
- Cluster of Excellence Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells (MBExC)University of GöttingenGermany
| | - Jasper Frohn
- Institute for X-ray PhysicsUniversity of GöttingenFriedrich-Hund-Platz 137077GöttingenGermany
| | - Ulrike Rölleke
- Institute for X-ray PhysicsUniversity of GöttingenFriedrich-Hund-Platz 137077GöttingenGermany
| | - Hendrik Bruns
- Institute for X-ray PhysicsUniversity of GöttingenFriedrich-Hund-Platz 137077GöttingenGermany
| | - Boram Yu
- Institute for X-ray PhysicsUniversity of GöttingenFriedrich-Hund-Platz 137077GöttingenGermany
| | - Sophie-Charlotte Gleber
- Institute for X-ray PhysicsUniversity of GöttingenFriedrich-Hund-Platz 137077GöttingenGermany
| | | | - Madleen Busse
- Biomedical Physics, School of ScienceTechnical University MunichBoltzmannstraße 1185748GarchingGermany
- Munich Institute of Biomedical EngineeringTechnical University MunichBoltzmannstraße 1185748GarchingGermany
| | - Markus Osterhoff
- Institute for X-ray PhysicsUniversity of GöttingenFriedrich-Hund-Platz 137077GöttingenGermany
| | - Tim Salditt
- Institute for X-ray PhysicsUniversity of GöttingenFriedrich-Hund-Platz 137077GöttingenGermany
- Cluster of Excellence Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells (MBExC)University of GöttingenGermany
| | - Sarah Köster
- Institute for X-ray PhysicsUniversity of GöttingenFriedrich-Hund-Platz 137077GöttingenGermany
- Cluster of Excellence Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells (MBExC)University of GöttingenGermany
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2
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Urbanska M, Guck J. Single-Cell Mechanics: Structural Determinants and Functional Relevance. Annu Rev Biophys 2024; 53:367-395. [PMID: 38382116 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-030822-030629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
The mechanical phenotype of a cell determines its ability to deform under force and is therefore relevant to cellular functions that require changes in cell shape, such as migration or circulation through the microvasculature. On the practical level, the mechanical phenotype can be used as a global readout of the cell's functional state, a marker for disease diagnostics, or an input for tissue modeling. We focus our review on the current knowledge of structural components that contribute to the determination of the cellular mechanical properties and highlight the physiological processes in which the mechanical phenotype of the cells is of critical relevance. The ongoing efforts to understand how to efficiently measure and control the mechanical properties of cells will define the progress in the field and drive mechanical phenotyping toward clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Urbanska
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; ,
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jochen Guck
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; ,
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
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3
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Pouraria H, Houston JP. Elasticity of Carrier Fluid: A Key Factor Affecting Mechanical Phenotyping in Deformability Cytometry. MICROMACHINES 2024; 15:822. [PMID: 39064333 PMCID: PMC11278870 DOI: 10.3390/mi15070822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Recently, microfluidics deformability cytometry has emerged as a powerful tool for high-throughput mechanical phenotyping of large populations of cells. These methods characterize cells by their mechanical fingerprints by exerting hydrodynamic forces and monitoring the resulting deformation. These devices have shown great promise for label-free cytometry, yet there is a critical need to improve their accuracy and reconcile any discrepancies with other methods, such as atomic force microscopy. In this study, we employ computational fluid dynamics simulations and uncover how the elasticity of frequently used carrier fluids, such as methylcellulose dissolved in phosphate-buffered saline, is significantly influential to the resulting cellular deformation. We conducted CFD simulations conventionally used within the deformability cytometry field, which neglect fluid elasticity. Subsequently, we incorporated a more comprehensive model that simulates the viscoelastic nature of the carrier fluid. A comparison of the predicted stresses between these two approaches underscores the significance of the emerging elastic stresses in addition to the well-recognized viscous stresses along the channel. Furthermore, we utilize a two-phase flow model to predict the deformation of a promyelocyte (i.e., HL-60 cell type) within a hydrodynamic constriction channel. The obtained results highlight a substantial impact of the elasticity of carrier fluid on cellular deformation and raise questions about the accuracy of mechanical property estimates derived by neglecting elastic stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessica P. Houston
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA;
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4
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Caselli N, García-Verdugo M, Calero M, Hernando-Ospina N, Santiago JA, Herráez-Aguilar D, Monroy F. Red blood cell flickering activity locally controlled by holographic optical tweezers. iScience 2024; 27:109915. [PMID: 38832008 PMCID: PMC11145342 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Red blood cells possess a singular mechanobiology, enabling efficient navigation through capillaries smaller than their own size. Their plasma membrane exhibits non-equilibrium shape fluctuation, often reported as enhanced flickering activity. Such active membrane motion is propelled by motor proteins that mediate interactions between the spectrin skeleton and the lipid bilayer. However, modulating the flickering in living red blood cells without permanently altering their mechanical properties represents a significant challenge. In this study, we developed holographic optical tweezers to generate a force field distributed along the equatorial membrane contour of individual red blood cells. In free-standing red blood cells, we observed heterogeneous flickering activity, attributed to localized membrane kickers. By employing holographic optical forces, these active kickers can be selectively halted under minimal invasion. Our findings shed light on the dynamics of membrane flickering and established a manipulation tool that could open new avenues for investigating mechanotransduction processes in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niccolò Caselli
- Departamento de Química Física, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Translational Biophysics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Doce de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario García-Verdugo
- Departamento de Química Física, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Macarena Calero
- Departamento de Química Física, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Translational Biophysics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Doce de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Facultad HM de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Camilo José Cela, Villanueva de la Cañada 28692 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria HM Hospitales, Madrid, España
| | - Natalia Hernando-Ospina
- Departamento de Química Física, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Translational Biophysics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Doce de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - José A. Santiago
- Departamento de Matemáticas Aplicadas y Sistemas, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Cuajimalpa, Vasco de Quiroga 4871, Ciudad de México 05348, México
| | - Diego Herráez-Aguilar
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biosanitarias, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Ctra. Pozuelo-Majadahonda, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Monroy
- Departamento de Química Física, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Translational Biophysics, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Doce de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
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5
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Chapman M, Rajagopal V, Stewart A, Collins DJ. Critical review of single-cell mechanotyping approaches for biomedical applications. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:3036-3063. [PMID: 38804123 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00978e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Accurate mechanical measurements of cells has the potential to improve diagnostics, therapeutics and advance understanding of disease mechanisms, where high-resolution mechanical information can be measured by deforming individual cells. Here we evaluate recently developed techniques for measuring cell-scale stiffness properties; while many such techniques have been developed, much of the work examining single-cell stiffness is impacted by difficulties in standardization and comparability, giving rise to large variations in reported mechanical moduli. We highlight the role of underlying mechanical theories driving this variability, and note opportunities to develop novel mechanotyping devices and theoretical models that facilitate convenient and accurate mechanical characterisation. Moreover, many high-throughput approaches are confounded by factors including cell size, surface friction, natural population heterogeneity and convolution of elastic and viscous contributions to cell deformability. We nevertheless identify key approaches based on deformability cytometry as a promising direction for further development, where both high-throughput and accurate single-cell resolutions can be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Chapman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Vijay Rajagopal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Alastair Stewart
- ARC Centre for Personalised Therapeutics Technologies, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - David J Collins
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Graeme Clarke Institute University of Melbourne Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
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6
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Conboy JP, Istúriz Petitjean I, van der Net A, Koenderink GH. How cytoskeletal crosstalk makes cells move: Bridging cell-free and cell studies. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2024; 5:021307. [PMID: 38840976 PMCID: PMC11151447 DOI: 10.1063/5.0198119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Cell migration is a fundamental process for life and is highly dependent on the dynamical and mechanical properties of the cytoskeleton. Intensive physical and biochemical crosstalk among actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments ensures their coordination to facilitate and enable migration. In this review, we discuss the different mechanical aspects that govern cell migration and provide, for each mechanical aspect, a novel perspective by juxtaposing two complementary approaches to the biophysical study of cytoskeletal crosstalk: live-cell studies (often referred to as top-down studies) and cell-free studies (often referred to as bottom-up studies). We summarize the main findings from both experimental approaches, and we provide our perspective on bridging the two perspectives to address the open questions of how cytoskeletal crosstalk governs cell migration and makes cells move.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P. Conboy
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Irene Istúriz Petitjean
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Anouk van der Net
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Gijsje H. Koenderink
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, The Netherlands
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7
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Handler C, Testi C, Scarcelli G. Advantages of integrating Brillouin microscopy in multimodal mechanical mapping of cells and tissues. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2024; 88:102341. [PMID: 38471195 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2024.102341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Recent research has highlighted the growing significance of the mechanical properties of cells and tissues in the proper execution of physiological functions within an organism; alterations to these properties can potentially result in various diseases. These mechanical properties can be assessed using various techniques that vary in spatial and temporal resolutions as well as applications. Due to the wide range of mechanical behaviors exhibited by cells and tissues, a singular mapping technique may be insufficient in capturing their complexity and nuance. Consequently, by utilizing a combination of methods-multimodal mechanical mapping-researchers can achieve a more comprehensive characterization of mechanical properties, encompassing factors such as stiffness, modulus, viscoelasticity, and forces. Furthermore, different mapping techniques can provide complementary information and enable the exploration of spatial and temporal variations to enhance our understanding of cellular dynamics and tissue mechanics. By capitalizing on the unique strengths of each method while mitigating their respective limitations, a more precise and holistic understanding of cellular and tissue mechanics can be obtained. Here, we spotlight Brillouin microscopy (BM) as a noncontact, noninvasive, and label-free mechanical mapping modality to be coutilized alongside established mechanical probing methods. This review summarizes some of the most widely adopted individual mechanical mapping techniques and highlights several recent multimodal approaches demonstrating their utility. We envision that future studies aim to adopt multimodal techniques to drive advancements in the broader realm of mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenchen Handler
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Claudia Testi
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Center for Life Nano- and Neuro- Science, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Giuliano Scarcelli
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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8
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Mukhopadhyay U, Mandal T, Chakraborty M, Sinha B. The Plasma Membrane and Mechanoregulation in Cells. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:21780-21797. [PMID: 38799362 PMCID: PMC11112598 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c01962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Cells inhabit a mechanical microenvironment that they continuously sense and adapt to. The plasma membrane (PM), serving as the boundary of the cell, plays a pivotal role in this process of adaptation. In this Review, we begin by examining well-studied processes where mechanoregulation proves significant. Specifically, we highlight examples from the immune system and stem cells, besides discussing processes involving fibroblasts and other cell types. Subsequently, we discuss the common molecular players that facilitate the sensing of the mechanical signal and transform it into a chemical response covering integrins YAP/TAZ and Piezo. We then review how this understanding of molecular elements is leveraged in drug discovery and tissue engineering alongside a discussion of the methodologies used to measure mechanical properties. Focusing on the processes of endocytosis, we discuss how cells may respond to altered membrane mechanics using endo- and exocytosis. Through the process of depleting/adding the membrane area, these could also impact membrane mechanics. We compare pathways from studies illustrating the involvement of endocytosis in mechanoregulation, including clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) and the CLIC/GEEC (CG) pathway as central examples. Lastly, we review studies on cell-cell fusion during myogenesis, the mechanical integrity of muscle fibers, and the reported and anticipated roles of various molecular players and processes like endocytosis, thereby emphasizing the significance of mechanoregulation at the PM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Upasana Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Biological
Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education
and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal 741246, India
| | - Tithi Mandal
- Department of Biological
Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education
and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal 741246, India
| | | | - Bidisha Sinha
- Department of Biological
Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education
and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal 741246, India
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9
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Reichel F, Goswami R, Girardo S, Guck J. High-throughput viscoelastic characterization of cells in hyperbolic microchannels. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:2440-2453. [PMID: 38600866 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc01061a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Extensive research has demonstrated the potential of cell viscoelastic properties as intrinsic indicators of cell state, functionality, and disease. For this, several microfluidic techniques have been developed to measure cell viscoelasticity with high-throughput. However, current microchannel designs introduce complex stress distributions on cells, leading to inaccuracies in determining the stress-strain relationship and, consequently, the viscoelastic properties. Here, we introduce a novel approach using hyperbolic microchannels that enable precise measurements under a constant extensional stress and offer a straightforward stress-strain relationship, while operating at a measurement rate of up to 100 cells per second. We quantified the stresses acting in the channels using mechanical calibration particles made from polyacrylamide (PAAm) and found that the measurement buffer, a solution of methyl cellulose and phosphate buffered saline, shows strain-thickening following a power law up to 200 s-1. By measuring oil droplets with varying viscosities, we successfully detected changes in the relaxation times of the droplets and our approach could be used to get the interfacial tension and viscosity of liquid-liquid droplet systems from the same measurement. We further applied this methodology to PAAm microgel beads, demonstrating the accurate recovery of Young's moduli and the near-ideal elastic behavior of the beads. To explore the influence of altered cell viscoelasticity, we treated HL60 human leukemia cells with latrunculin B and nocodazole, resulting in clear changes in cell stiffness while relaxation times were only minimally affected. In conclusion, our approach offers a streamlined and time-efficient solution for assessing the viscoelastic properties of large cell populations and other microscale soft particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Reichel
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany.
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ruchi Goswami
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany.
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Salvatore Girardo
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany.
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jochen Guck
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany.
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
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10
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Runser S, Vetter R, Iber D. SimuCell3D: three-dimensional simulation of tissue mechanics with cell polarization. NATURE COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE 2024; 4:299-309. [PMID: 38594592 PMCID: PMC11052725 DOI: 10.1038/s43588-024-00620-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
The three-dimensional (3D) organization of cells determines tissue function and integrity, and changes markedly in development and disease. Cell-based simulations have long been used to define the underlying mechanical principles. However, high computational costs have so far limited simulations to either simplified cell geometries or small tissue patches. Here, we present SimuCell3D, an efficient open-source program to simulate large tissues in three dimensions with subcellular resolution, growth, proliferation, extracellular matrix, fluid cavities, nuclei and non-uniform mechanical properties, as found in polarized epithelia. Spheroids, vesicles, sheets, tubes and other tissue geometries can readily be imported from microscopy images and simulated to infer biomechanical parameters. Doing so, we show that 3D cell shapes in layered and pseudostratified epithelia are largely governed by a competition between surface tension and intercellular adhesion. SimuCell3D enables the large-scale in silico study of 3D tissue organization in development and disease at a great level of detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Runser
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Roman Vetter
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dagmar Iber
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Basel, Switzerland.
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11
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Storti F, Bonfadini S, Bondelli G, Vurro V, Lanzani G, Criante L. Photocell-Based Optofluidic Device for Clogging-Free Cell Transit Time Measurements. BIOSENSORS 2024; 14:154. [PMID: 38667147 PMCID: PMC11047832 DOI: 10.3390/bios14040154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Measuring the transit time of a cell forced through a bottleneck is one of the most widely used techniques for the study of cell deformability in flow. It in turn provides an accessible and rapid way of obtaining crucial information regarding cell physiology. Many techniques are currently being investigated to reliably retrieve this time, but their translation to diagnostic-oriented devices is often hampered by their complexity, lack of robustness, and the bulky external equipment required. Herein, we demonstrate the benefits of coupling microfluidics with an optical method, like photocells, to measure the transit time. We exploit the femtosecond laser irradiation followed by chemical etching (FLICE) fabrication technique to build a monolithic 3D device capable of detecting cells flowing through a 3D non-deformable constriction which is fully buried in a fused silica substrate. We validated our chip by measuring the transit times of pristine breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and MCF-7 cells treated with Latrunculin A, a drug typically used to increase their deformability. A difference in transit times can be assessed without the need for complex external instrumentation and/or demanding computational efforts. The high throughput (4000-10,000 cells/min), ease of use, and clogging-free operation of our device bring this approach much closer to real scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Storti
- Centre for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Rubattino 81, 20134 Milano, Italy; (F.S.); (S.B.); (G.B.); (V.V.); (G.L.)
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Silvio Bonfadini
- Centre for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Rubattino 81, 20134 Milano, Italy; (F.S.); (S.B.); (G.B.); (V.V.); (G.L.)
| | - Gaia Bondelli
- Centre for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Rubattino 81, 20134 Milano, Italy; (F.S.); (S.B.); (G.B.); (V.V.); (G.L.)
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Vito Vurro
- Centre for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Rubattino 81, 20134 Milano, Italy; (F.S.); (S.B.); (G.B.); (V.V.); (G.L.)
| | - Guglielmo Lanzani
- Centre for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Rubattino 81, 20134 Milano, Italy; (F.S.); (S.B.); (G.B.); (V.V.); (G.L.)
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Luigino Criante
- Centre for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Rubattino 81, 20134 Milano, Italy; (F.S.); (S.B.); (G.B.); (V.V.); (G.L.)
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12
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Stilgoe A, Favre-Bulle IA, Watson ML, Gomez-Godinez V, Berns MW, Preece D, Rubinsztein-Dunlop H. Shining Light in Mechanobiology: Optical Tweezers, Scissors, and Beyond. ACS PHOTONICS 2024; 11:917-940. [PMID: 38523746 PMCID: PMC10958612 DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.4c00064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Mechanobiology helps us to decipher cell and tissue functions by looking at changes in their mechanical properties that contribute to development, cell differentiation, physiology, and disease. Mechanobiology sits at the interface of biology, physics and engineering. One of the key technologies that enables characterization of properties of cells and tissue is microscopy. Combining microscopy with other quantitative measurement techniques such as optical tweezers and scissors, gives a very powerful tool for unraveling the intricacies of mechanobiology enabling measurement of forces, torques and displacements at play. We review the field of some light based studies of mechanobiology and optical detection of signal transduction ranging from optical micromanipulation-optical tweezers and scissors, advanced fluorescence techniques and optogenentics. In the current perspective paper, we concentrate our efforts on elucidating interesting measurements of forces, torques, positions, viscoelastic properties, and optogenetics inside and outside a cell attained when using structured light in combination with optical tweezers and scissors. We give perspective on the field concentrating on the use of structured light in imaging in combination with tweezers and scissors pointing out how novel developments in quantum imaging in combination with tweezers and scissors can bring to this fast growing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander
B. Stilgoe
- School of
Mathematics and Physics, The University
of Queensland, Brisbane, 4074, Australia
- ARC
CoE for Engineered Quantum Systems, The
University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4074, Australia
- ARC
CoE in Quantum Biotechnology, The University
of Queensland, 4074, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Itia A. Favre-Bulle
- School of
Mathematics and Physics, The University
of Queensland, Brisbane, 4074, Australia
- Queensland
Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4074, Australia
| | - Mark L. Watson
- School of
Mathematics and Physics, The University
of Queensland, Brisbane, 4074, Australia
- ARC
CoE for Engineered Quantum Systems, The
University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4074, Australia
| | - Veronica Gomez-Godinez
- Institute
of Engineering and Medicine, University
of California San Diego, San Diego, California 92093, United States
| | - Michael W. Berns
- Institute
of Engineering and Medicine, University
of California San Diego, San Diego, California 92093, United States
- Beckman
Laser Institute, University of California
Irvine, Irvine, California 92612, United States
| | - Daryl Preece
- Beckman
Laser Institute, University of California
Irvine, Irvine, California 92612, United States
| | - Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop
- School of
Mathematics and Physics, The University
of Queensland, Brisbane, 4074, Australia
- ARC
CoE for Engineered Quantum Systems, The
University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4074, Australia
- ARC
CoE in Quantum Biotechnology, The University
of Queensland, 4074, Brisbane, Australia
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13
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Stolz M. The Revolution in Breast Cancer Diagnostics: From Visual Inspection of Histopathology Slides to Using Desktop Tissue Analysers for Automated Nanomechanical Profiling of Tumours. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:237. [PMID: 38534510 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11030237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
We aim to develop new portable desktop tissue analysers (DTAs) to provide fast, low-cost, and precise test results for fast nanomechanical profiling of tumours. This paper will explain the reasoning for choosing indentation-type atomic force microscopy (IT-AFM) to reveal the functional details of cancer. Determining the subtype, cancer stage, and prognosis will be possible, which aids in choosing the best treatment. DTAs are based on fast IT-AFM at the size of a small box that can be made for a low budget compared to other clinical imaging tools. The DTAs can work in remote areas and all parts of the world. There are a number of direct benefits: First, it is no longer needed to wait a week for the pathology report as the test will only take 10 min. Second, it avoids the complicated steps of making histopathology slides and saves costs of labour. Third, computers and robots are more consistent, more reliable, and more economical than human workers which may result in fewer diagnostic errors. Fourth, the IT-AFM analysis is capable of distinguishing between various cancer subtypes. Fifth, the IT-AFM analysis could reveal new insights about why immunotherapy fails. Sixth, IT-AFM may provide new insights into the neoadjuvant treatment response. Seventh, the healthcare system saves money by reducing diagnostic backlogs. Eighth, the results are stored on a central server and can be accessed to develop strategies to prevent cancer. To bring the IT-AFM technology from the bench to the operation theatre, a fast IT-AFM sensor needs to be developed and integrated into the DTAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Stolz
- National Centre for Advanced Tribology at Southampton, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
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14
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Stilgoe AB, Kashchuk AV, Balanant MA, Santangelo D, Nieminen TA, Sauret E, Flower R, Rubinsztein-Dunlop H. Tired and stressed: direct holographic quasi-static stretching of aging echinocytes and discocytes in plasma using optical tweezers [Invited]. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2024; 15:656-671. [PMID: 38404345 PMCID: PMC10890887 DOI: 10.1364/boe.504779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Red blood cells (RBCs) undergo a progressive morphological transformation from smooth biconcave discocytes into rounder echinocytes with spicules on their surface during cold storage. The echinocytic morphology impacts RBCs' ability to flow through narrow sections of the circulation and therefore transfusion of RBC units with a high echinocytic content are thought to have a reduced efficiency. We use an optical tweezers-based technique where we directly trap and measure linear stiffness of RBCs under stress without the use of attached spherical probe particles or microfluidic flow to induce shear. We study RBC deformability with over 50 days of storage performing multiple stretches in blood plasma (serum with cold agglutinins removed to eliminate clotting). In particular, we find that discocytes and echinocytes do not show significant changes in linear stiffness in the small strain limit (∼ 20 % change in length) up to day 30 of the storage period, but do find differences between repeated stretches. By day 50 the linear stiffness of discocytes had increased to approximately that measured for echinocytes throughout the entire period of measurements. These changes in stiffness corresponded to recorded morphological changes in the discocytes as they underwent storage lesion. We believe our holographic trapping and direct measurement technique has applications to directly control and quantify forces that stretch other types of cells without the use of attached probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander B. Stilgoe
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Anatolii V. Kashchuk
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Currently with LENS, European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy, Via Nello Carrara 1, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy, and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Via Sansone 1, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy
| | - Marie-Anne Balanant
- Faculty of Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia
| | - Deborah Santangelo
- Faculty of Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia
| | - Timo A. Nieminen
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Emilie Sauret
- Faculty of Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
| | - Robert Flower
- Faculty of Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia
- Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia
| | - Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop
- School of Mathematics and Physics, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
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15
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Vasantham S, Kotnala A, Promovych Y, Garstecki P, Derzsi L. Opto-hydrodynamic tweezers. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:517-527. [PMID: 38165913 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00733b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Optical fiber tweezers offer a simple, low-cost and portable solution for non-invasive trapping and manipulation of particles. However, single-fiber tweezers require fiber tip modification (tapering, lensing, etc.) and the dual-fiber approach demands strict alignment and positioning of fibers for robust trapping of particles. In addition, both tweezing techniques offer a limited range of particle manipulation and operate in low flow velocity regimes (a few 100 μm s-1) when integrated with microfluidic devices. In this paper, we report a novel opto-hydrodynamic fiber tweezers (OHT) platform that exploits the balance between the hydrodynamic drag force and optical scattering forces to trap and manipulate single or multiple particles of various shapes, sizes, and material compositions in a microfluidic channel. 3D hydrodynamic flow focusing offers an easy and dynamic alignment of the particle trajectories with the optical axis of the fiber, which enables robust trapping of particles with high efficiency of >70% and throughput of 14 particles per minute (operating flow velocity: 1000 μm s-1) without the need for precision stages or complex fabrication. By regulating the optical power and flow rates, we were able to trap single particles at desired positions in the channel with a precision of ±10 μm as well as manipulate them over a long range upstream or downstream with a maximum distance of 500 μm. Our opto-hydrodynamic tweezers offer an alternative to conventional optical fiber tweezers for several applications in physics, biology, medicine, etc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreyas Vasantham
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Abhay Kotnala
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204, USA
| | - Yurii Promovych
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Piotr Garstecki
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Ladislav Derzsi
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, ul. Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224, Warsaw, Poland.
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16
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Mierke CT. Magnetic tweezers in cell mechanics. Methods Enzymol 2024; 694:321-354. [PMID: 38492957 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
The chapter provides an overview of the applications of magnetic tweezers in living cells. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of magnetic tweezers technology with a focus on individual magnetic tweezers configurations, such as electromagnetic tweezers. Solutions to the disadvantages identified are also outlined. The specific role of magnetic tweezers in the field of mechanobiology, such as mechanosensitivity, mechano-allostery and mechanotransduction are also emphasized. The specific usage of magnetic tweezers in mechanically probing cells via specific cell surface receptors, such as mechanosensitive channels is discussed and why mechanical probing has revealed the opening and closing of the channels. Finally, the future direction of magnetic tweezers is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Tanja Mierke
- Faculty of Physics and Earth System Sciences, Peter Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Biological Physics Division, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
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17
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Malinowska AM, van Mameren J, Peterman EJG, Wuite GJL, Heller I. Introduction to Optical Tweezers: Background, System Designs, and Applications. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2694:3-28. [PMID: 37823997 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3377-9_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Optical tweezers are a means to manipulate objects with light. With the technique, microscopically small objects can be held and steered, allowing for accurate measurement of the forces applied to these objects. Optical tweezers can typically obtain a nanometer spatial resolution, a picoNewton force resolution, and a millisecond time resolution, which makes the technique well suited for the study of biological processes from the single-cell down to the single-molecule level. In this chapter, we aim to provide an introduction to the use of optical tweezers for single-molecule analyses. We start from the basic principles and methodology involved in optical trapping, force calibration, and force measurements. Next, we describe the components of an optical tweezers setup and their experimental relevance. Finally, we will provide an overview of the broad applications in context of biological research, with the emphasis on the measurement modes, experimental assays, and possible combinations with fluorescence microscopy techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata M Malinowska
- LaserLaB Amsterdam and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joost van Mameren
- Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Erwin J G Peterman
- LaserLaB Amsterdam and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gijs J L Wuite
- LaserLaB Amsterdam and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Iddo Heller
- LaserLaB Amsterdam and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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18
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Lan Y, Zhou Y, Wu M, Jia C, Zhao J. Microfluidic based single cell or droplet manipulation: Methods and applications. Talanta 2023; 265:124776. [PMID: 37348357 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.124776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
The isolation of single cell or droplet is first and crucial step to single-cell analysis, which is important for cancer research and diagnostic methods. This review provides an overview of technologies that are currently used or in development to realize the isolation. Microfluidic based manipulation is an emerging technology with the distinct advantages of miniaturization and low cost. Therefore, recent developments in microfluidic isolated methods have attracted extensive attention. We introduced herein five strategies based on microfluid: trap, microfluidic discrete manipulation, bioprinter, capillary and inertial force. For every technology, their basic principles and features were discussed firstly. Then some modified approaches and applications were listed as the extension. Finally, we compared the advantages and drawbacks of these methods, and analyzed the trend of the manipulation based on microfluidics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei Lan
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China; Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Yang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China; Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Man Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China.
| | - Chunping Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China; Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Jianlong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200050, China; Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
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19
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Xin Y, Li K, Huang M, Liang C, Siemann D, Wu L, Tan Y, Tang X. Biophysics in tumor growth and progression: from single mechano-sensitive molecules to mechanomedicine. Oncogene 2023; 42:3457-3490. [PMID: 37864030 PMCID: PMC10656290 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02844-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Evidence from physical sciences in oncology increasingly suggests that the interplay between the biophysical tumor microenvironment and genetic regulation has significant impact on tumor progression. Especially, tumor cells and the associated stromal cells not only alter their own cytoskeleton and physical properties but also remodel the microenvironment with anomalous physical properties. Together, these altered mechano-omics of tumor tissues and their constituents fundamentally shift the mechanotransduction paradigms in tumorous and stromal cells and activate oncogenic signaling within the neoplastic niche to facilitate tumor progression. However, current findings on tumor biophysics are limited, scattered, and often contradictory in multiple contexts. Systematic understanding of how biophysical cues influence tumor pathophysiology is still lacking. This review discusses recent different schools of findings in tumor biophysics that have arisen from multi-scale mechanobiology and the cutting-edge technologies. These findings range from the molecular and cellular to the whole tissue level and feature functional crosstalk between mechanotransduction and oncogenic signaling. We highlight the potential of these anomalous physical alterations as new therapeutic targets for cancer mechanomedicine. This framework reconciles opposing opinions in the field, proposes new directions for future cancer research, and conceptualizes novel mechanomedicine landscape to overcome the inherent shortcomings of conventional cancer diagnosis and therapies.
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Grants
- R35 GM150812 NIGMS NIH HHS
- This work was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project no. 11972316, Y.T.), Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission (Project no. JCYJ20200109142001798, SGDX2020110309520303, and JCYJ20220531091002006, Y.T.), General Research Fund of Hong Kong Research Grant Council (PolyU 15214320, Y. T.), Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF18191421, Y.T.), Hong Kong Polytechnic University (1-CD75, 1-ZE2M, and 1-ZVY1, Y.T.), the Cancer Pilot Research Award from UF Health Cancer Center (X. T.), the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number R35GM150812 (X. T.), the National Science Foundation under grant number 2308574 (X. T.), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under award number FA9550-23-1-0393 (X. T.), the University Scholar Program (X. T.), UF Research Opportunity Seed Fund (X. T.), the Gatorade Award (X. T.), and the National Science Foundation REU Site at UF: Engineering for Healthcare (Douglas Spearot and Malisa Sarntinoranont). We are deeply grateful for the insightful discussions with and generous support from all members of Tang (UF)’s and Tan (PolyU)’s laboratories and all staff members of the MAE/BME/ECE/Health Cancer Center at UF and BME at PolyU.
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)
- Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xin
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Keming Li
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Miao Huang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Chenyu Liang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Dietmar Siemann
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lizi Wu
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Youhua Tan
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
- Research Institute of Smart Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Xin Tang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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20
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Buxboim A, Kronenberg-Tenga R, Salajkova S, Avidan N, Shahak H, Thurston A, Medalia O. Scaffold, mechanics and functions of nuclear lamins. FEBS Lett 2023; 597:2791-2805. [PMID: 37813648 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear lamins are type-V intermediate filaments that are involved in many nuclear processes. In mammals, A- and B-type lamins assemble into separate physical meshwork underneath the inner nuclear membrane, the nuclear lamina, with some residual fraction localized within the nucleoplasm. Lamins are the major part of the nucleoskeleton, providing mechanical strength and flexibility to protect the genome and allow nuclear deformability, while also contributing to gene regulation via interactions with chromatin. While lamins are the evolutionary ancestors of all intermediate filament family proteins, their ultimate filamentous assembly is markedly different from their cytoplasmic counterparts. Interestingly, hundreds of genetic mutations in the lamina proteins have been causally linked with a broad range of human pathologies, termed laminopathies. These include muscular, neurological and metabolic disorders, as well as premature aging diseases. Recent technological advances have contributed to resolving the filamentous structure of lamins and the corresponding lamina organization. In this review, we revisit the multiscale lamin organization and discuss its implications on nuclear mechanics and chromatin organization within lamina-associated domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amnon Buxboim
- The Rachel and Selim Benin School of Computer Science and Engineering and The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Sarka Salajkova
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nili Avidan
- The Rachel and Selim Benin School of Computer Science and Engineering and The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hen Shahak
- The Rachel and Selim Benin School of Computer Science and Engineering and The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Alice Thurston
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ohad Medalia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Switzerland
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21
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Vigetti L, Tardieux I. Fostering innovation to solve the biomechanics of microbe-host interactions: Focus on the adhesive forces underlying Apicomplexa parasite biology. Biol Cell 2023; 115:e202300016. [PMID: 37227253 DOI: 10.1111/boc.202300016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The protozoa, Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium spp., are preeminent members of the Apicomplexa parasitic phylum in large part due to their public health and economic impact. Hence, they serve as model unicellular eukaryotes with which to explore the repertoire of molecular and cellular strategies that specific developmental morphotypes deploy to timely adjust to their host(s) in order to perpetuate. In particular, host tissue- and cell-invasive morphotypes termed zoites alternate extracellular and intracellular lifestyles, thereby sensing and reacting to a wealth of host-derived biomechanical cues over their partnership. In the recent years, biophysical tools especially related to real time force measurement have been introduced, teaching us how creative are these microbes to shape a unique motility system that powers fast gliding through a variety of extracellular matrices, across cellular barriers, in vascular systems or into host cells. Equally performant was this toolkit to start illuminating how parasites manipulate their hosting cell adhesive and rheological properties to their advantage. In this review, besides highlighting major discoveries along the way, we discuss the most promising development, synergy, and multimodal integration in active noninvasive force microscopy methods. These should in the near future unlock current limitations and allow capturing, from molecules to tissues, the many biomechanical and biophysical interplays over the dynamic host and microbe partnership.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Vigetti
- Team Biomechanics of Host-Parasite Interactions, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Isabelle Tardieux
- Team Biomechanics of Host-Parasite Interactions, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, University of Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
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22
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Hosseini K, Frenzel A, Fischer-Friedrich E. EMT induces characteristic changes of Rho GTPases and downstream effectors with a mitosis-specific twist. Phys Biol 2023; 20:066001. [PMID: 37652025 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/acf5bd] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key cellular transformation for many physiological and pathological processes ranging from cancer over wound healing to embryogenesis. Changes in cell migration, cell morphology and cellular contractility were identified as hallmarks of EMT. These cellular properties are known to be tightly regulated by the actin cytoskeleton. EMT-induced changes of actin-cytoskeletal regulation were demonstrated by previous reports of changes of actin cortex mechanics in conjunction with modifications of cortex-associated f-actin and myosin. However, at the current state, the changes of upstream actomyosin signaling that lead to corresponding mechanical and compositional changes of the cortex are not well understood. In this work, we show in breast epithelial cancer cells MCF-7 that EMT results in characteristic changes of the cortical association of Rho-GTPases Rac1, RhoA and RhoC and downstream actin regulators cofilin, mDia1 and Arp2/3. In the light of our findings, we propose that EMT-induced changes in cortical mechanics rely on two hitherto unappreciated signaling paths-i) an interaction between Rac1 and RhoC and ii) an inhibitory effect of Arp2/3 activity on cortical association of myosin II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamran Hosseini
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Annika Frenzel
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Faculty of Physics, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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23
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Liu R, Shao M, Ke Z, Li C, Lu F, Zhong MC, Mao Y, Wei X, Zhong Z, Zhou J. Measurement of red blood cell deformability during morphological changes using rotating-glass-plate-based scanning optical tweezers. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 14:4979-4989. [PMID: 37791257 PMCID: PMC10545211 DOI: 10.1364/boe.499018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
It is important to measure the deformability of red blood cells (RBCs) before transfusion, which is a key factor in the gas transport ability of RBCs and changes during storage of RBCs in vitro. Moreover, the morphology of RBCs also changes during storage. It is proposed that the change in morphology is related to the change in deformability. However, the efficiency of typical methods that use particles as handles is low, especially in the deformability measurement of echinocyte and spherocytes. Therefore, the deformability of RBCs with different morphologies is hard to be measured and compared in the same experiment. In this study, we developed a cost-effective and efficient rotating-glass-plate-based scanning optical tweezers device for the measurement of deformability of RBCs. The performance of this device was evaluated, and the deformability of three types of RBCs was measured using this device. Our results clearly show that the change of erythrocyte morphology from discocyte to echinocyte and spherocyte during storage in vitro is accompanied by a decrease in deformability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Liu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Meng Shao
- School of Instrument Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Zeyu Ke
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Changxu Li
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Fengya Lu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Min-Cheng Zhong
- School of Instrument Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Yuxin Mao
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Xunbin Wei
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Peking University, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhensheng Zhong
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Jinhua Zhou
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
- 3D-Printing and Tissue Engineering Center, Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
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24
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Pesen T, Haydaroglu M, Capar S, Parlatan U, Unlu MB. Comparison of the human's and camel's red blood cell deformability by optical tweezers and Raman spectroscopy. Biochem Biophys Rep 2023; 35:101490. [PMID: 37664525 PMCID: PMC10474369 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2023.101490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Red blood cells of vertebrates have undergone evolutionary changes over time, leading to the diversification of morphological and mechanical properties of red blood cells (RBCs). Among the vertebrates, camelids have the most different RBC characteristics. As a result of adaptation to the desert environment, camelid RBCs can expand twice as much of their total volume in the case of rapid hydration yet are almost undeformable under mechanical stress. In this work, the mechanical and chemical differences in the RBC properties of the human and camelid species were examined using optical tweezers and Raman spectroscopy. We measured the deformability of camel and human RBCs at the single-cell level using optical tweezers. We found that the deformability index (DI) of the camel and the human RBCs were 0.024 ± 0.019 and 0.215 ± 0.061, respectively. To investigate the chemical properties of these cells, we measured the Raman spectra of the whole blood samples. The result of our study indicated that some of the Raman peaks observed on the camel's blood spectrum were absent in the human blood's spectrum, which further points to the difference in chemical contents of these two species' RBCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuna Pesen
- Bogazici University, Department of Physics, Istanbul, 34470, Turkiye
| | - Mete Haydaroglu
- Bogazici University, Department of Physics, Istanbul, 34470, Turkiye
| | - Simal Capar
- Bogazici University, Department of Physics, Istanbul, 34470, Turkiye
| | - Ugur Parlatan
- Bogazici University, Department of Physics, Istanbul, 34470, Turkiye
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25
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Abraham A, Virdi S, Herrero N, Bryant I, Nwakama C, Jacob M, Khaparde G, Jordan D, McCuddin M, McKinley S, Taylor A, Peeples C, Ekpenyong A. Microfluidic Microcirculation Mimetic for Exploring Biophysical Mechanisms of Chemotherapy-Induced Metastasis. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:1653. [PMID: 37763816 PMCID: PMC10536821 DOI: 10.3390/mi14091653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
There is rapidly emerging evidence from pre-clinical studies, patient samples and patient subpopulations that certain chemotherapeutics inadvertently produce prometastatic effects. Prior to this, we showed that doxorubicin and daunorubicin stiffen cells before causing cell death, predisposing the cells to clogging and extravasation, the latter being a step in metastasis. Here, we investigate which other anti-cancer drugs might have similar prometastatic effects by altering the biophysical properties of cells. We treated myelogenous (K562) leukemic cancer cells with the drugs nocodazole and hydroxyurea and then measured their mechanical properties using a microfluidic microcirculation mimetic (MMM) device, which mimics aspects of blood circulation and enables the measurement of cell mechanical properties via transit times through the device. We also quantified the morphological properties of cells to explore biophysical mechanisms underlying the MMM results. Results from MMM measurements show that nocodazole- and hydroxyurea-treated K562 cells exhibit significantly altered transit times. Nocodazole caused a significant (p < 0.01) increase in transit times, implying a stiffening of cells. This work shows the feasibility of using an MMM to explore possible biophysical mechanisms that might contribute to chemotherapy-induced metastasis. Our work also suggests cell mechanics as a therapeutic target for much needed antimetastatic strategies in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Abraham
- Biology Department, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA; (A.A.); (N.H.); (M.J.); (G.K.); (D.J.); (M.M.); (S.M.); (A.T.)
| | - Sukhman Virdi
- Physics Department, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA; (S.V.); (I.B.); (C.P.)
| | - Nick Herrero
- Biology Department, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA; (A.A.); (N.H.); (M.J.); (G.K.); (D.J.); (M.M.); (S.M.); (A.T.)
| | - Israel Bryant
- Physics Department, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA; (S.V.); (I.B.); (C.P.)
| | - Chisom Nwakama
- Chemistry Department, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA;
| | - Megha Jacob
- Biology Department, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA; (A.A.); (N.H.); (M.J.); (G.K.); (D.J.); (M.M.); (S.M.); (A.T.)
| | - Gargee Khaparde
- Biology Department, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA; (A.A.); (N.H.); (M.J.); (G.K.); (D.J.); (M.M.); (S.M.); (A.T.)
| | - Destiny Jordan
- Biology Department, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA; (A.A.); (N.H.); (M.J.); (G.K.); (D.J.); (M.M.); (S.M.); (A.T.)
| | - Mackenzie McCuddin
- Biology Department, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA; (A.A.); (N.H.); (M.J.); (G.K.); (D.J.); (M.M.); (S.M.); (A.T.)
| | - Spencer McKinley
- Biology Department, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA; (A.A.); (N.H.); (M.J.); (G.K.); (D.J.); (M.M.); (S.M.); (A.T.)
| | - Adam Taylor
- Biology Department, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA; (A.A.); (N.H.); (M.J.); (G.K.); (D.J.); (M.M.); (S.M.); (A.T.)
| | - Conner Peeples
- Physics Department, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA; (S.V.); (I.B.); (C.P.)
| | - Andrew Ekpenyong
- Physics Department, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA; (S.V.); (I.B.); (C.P.)
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26
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Shalchi-Amirkhiz P, Bensch T, Proschmann U, Stock AK, Ziemssen T, Akgün K. Pilot study on the influence of acute alcohol exposure on biophysical parameters of leukocytes. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1243155. [PMID: 37614440 PMCID: PMC10442941 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1243155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: This pilot study explores the influence of acute alcohol exposure on cell mechanical properties of steady-state and activated leukocytes conducted with real-time deformability cytometry. Methods: Nineteen healthy male volunteers were enrolled to investigate the effect of binge drinking on biophysical properties and cell counts of peripheral blood leukocytes. Each participant consumed an individualized amount of alcohol to achieve a blood alcohol concentration of 1.2 ‰ as a mean peak. In addition, we also incubated whole blood samples from healthy donors with various ethanol concentrations and performed stimulation experiments using lipopolysaccharide and CytoStim™ in the presence of ethanol. Results: Our findings indicate that the biophysical properties of steady-state leukocytes are not significantly affected by a single episode of binge drinking within the first two hours. However, we observed significant alterations in relative cell counts and a shift toward a memory T cell phenotype. Moreover, exposure to ethanol during stimulation appears to inhibit the cytoskeleton reorganization of monocytes, as evidenced by a hindered increase in cell deformability. Conclusion: Our observations indicate the promising potential of cell mechanical analysis in understanding the influence of ethanol on immune cell functions. Nevertheless, additional investigations in this field are warranted to validate biophysical properties as biomarkers or prognostic indicators for alcohol-related changes in the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puya Shalchi-Amirkhiz
- Multiple Sclerosis Center, Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Tristan Bensch
- Multiple Sclerosis Center, Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Undine Proschmann
- Multiple Sclerosis Center, Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, School of Science, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Tjalf Ziemssen
- Multiple Sclerosis Center, Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Katja Akgün
- Multiple Sclerosis Center, Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
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27
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Yang S, Rufo J, Zhong R, Rich J, Wang Z, Lee LP, Huang TJ. Acoustic tweezers for high-throughput single-cell analysis. Nat Protoc 2023; 18:2441-2458. [PMID: 37468650 PMCID: PMC11052649 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00844-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Acoustic tweezers provide an effective means for manipulating single cells and particles in a high-throughput, precise, selective and contact-free manner. The adoption of acoustic tweezers in next-generation cellular assays may advance our understanding of biological systems. Here we present a comprehensive set of instructions that guide users through device fabrication, instrumentation setup and data acquisition to study single cells with an experimental throughput that surpasses traditional methods, such as atomic force microscopy and micropipette aspiration, by several orders of magnitude. With acoustic tweezers, users can conduct versatile experiments that require the trapping, patterning, pairing and separation of single cells in a myriad of applications ranging across the biological and biomedical sciences. This procedure is widely generalizable and adaptable for investigations in materials and physical sciences, such as the spinning motion of colloids or the development of acoustic-based quantum simulations. Overall, the device fabrication requires ~12 h, the experimental setup of the acoustic tweezers requires 1-2 h and the cell manipulation experiment requires ~30 min to complete. Our protocol is suitable for use by interdisciplinary researchers in biology, medicine, engineering and physics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujie Yang
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Joseph Rufo
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ruoyu Zhong
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Joseph Rich
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Zeyu Wang
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Luke P Lee
- Renal Division and Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Institute of Quantum Biophysics, Department of Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea.
| | - Tony Jun Huang
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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28
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Hardiman W, Clark M, Friel C, Huett A, Pérez-Cota F, Setchfield K, Wright AJ, Tassieri M. Living cells as a biological analog of optical tweezers - a non-invasive microrheology approach. Acta Biomater 2023; 166:317-325. [PMID: 37137402 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.04.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Microrheology, the study of fluids on micron length-scales, promises to reveal insights into cellular biology, including mechanical biomarkers of disease and the interplay between biomechanics and cellular function. Here a minimally-invasive passive microrheology technique is applied to individual living cells by chemically binding a bead to the surface of a cell, and observing the mean squared displacement of the bead at timescales ranging from milliseconds to 100s of seconds. Measurements are repeated over the course of hours, and presented alongside analysis to quantify changes in the cells' low-frequency elastic modulus, G0', and the cell's dynamics over the time window ∼10-2 s to 10 s. An analogy to optical trapping allows verification of the invariant viscosity of HeLa S3 cells under control conditions and after cytoskeletal disruption. Stiffening of the cell is observed during cytoskeletal rearrangement in the control case, and cell softening when the actin cytoskeleton is disrupted by Latrunculin B. These data correlate with conventional understanding that integrin binding and recruitment triggers cytoskeletal rearrangement. This is, to our knowledge, the first time that cell stiffening has been measured during focal adhesion maturation, and the longest time over which such stiffening has been quantified by any means. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Here, we present an approach for studying mechanical properties of live cells without applying external forces or inserting tracers. Regulation of cellular biomechanics is crucial to healthy cell function. For the first time in literature, we can non-invasively and passively quantify cell mechanics during interactions with functionalised surface. Our method can monitor the maturation of adhesion sites on the surface of individual live cells without disrupting the cell mechanics by applying forces to the cell. We observe a stiffening response in cells over tens of minutes after a bead chemically binds. This stiffening reduces the deformation rate of the cytoskeleton, although the internal force generation increases. Our method has potential for applications to study mechanics during cell-surface and cell-vesicle interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Hardiman
- Optics and Photonics Research Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
| | - Matt Clark
- Optics and Photonics Research Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Claire Friel
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Medical School, QMC, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Alan Huett
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Medical School, QMC, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Fernando Pérez-Cota
- Optics and Photonics Research Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Kerry Setchfield
- Optics and Photonics Research Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Amanda J Wright
- Optics and Photonics Research Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
| | - Manlio Tassieri
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8LT, UK.
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29
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Kechagidis K, Owen B, Guillou L, Tse H, Di Carlo D, Krüger T. Numerical investigation of the dynamics of a rigid spherical particle in a vortical cross-slot flow at moderate inertia. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2023; 9:100. [PMID: 37519826 PMCID: PMC10372015 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-023-00541-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
The study of flow and particle dynamics in microfluidic cross-slot channels is of high relevance for lab-on-a-chip applications. In this work, we investigate the dynamics of a rigid spherical particle in a cross-slot junction for a channel height-to-width ratio of 0.6 and at a Reynolds number of 120 for which a steady vortex exists in the junction area. Using an in-house immersed-boundary-lattice-Boltzmann code, we analyse the effect of the entry position of the particle in the junction and the particle size on the dynamics and trajectory shape of the particle. We find that the dynamics of the particle depend strongly on its lateral entry position in the junction and weakly on its vertical entry position; particles that enter close to the centre show trajectory oscillations. Larger particles have longer residence times in the junction and tend to oscillate less due to their confinement. Our work contributes to the understanding of particle dynamics in intersecting flows and enables the design of optimised geometries for cytometry and particle manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Kechagidis
- School of Engineering, Institute for Multiscale Thermofluids, University of Edinburgh, W Mains Rd, Edinburgh, EH9 3JW Scotland UK
| | - Benjamin Owen
- School of Engineering, Institute for Multiscale Thermofluids, University of Edinburgh, W Mains Rd, Edinburgh, EH9 3JW Scotland UK
| | - Lionel Guillou
- Cytovale, Inc., Executive Park Blvd., San Fransisco, CA 90095 CA USA
| | - Henry Tse
- Cytovale, Inc., Executive Park Blvd., San Fransisco, CA 90095 CA USA
| | - Dino Di Carlo
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, 610101 CA USA
| | - Timm Krüger
- School of Engineering, Institute for Multiscale Thermofluids, University of Edinburgh, W Mains Rd, Edinburgh, EH9 3JW Scotland UK
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30
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Tognato R, Bronte Ciriza D, Maragò OM, Jones PH. Modelling red blood cell optical trapping by machine learning improved geometrical optics calculations. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 14:3748-3762. [PMID: 37497516 PMCID: PMC10368044 DOI: 10.1364/boe.488931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Optically trapping red blood cells allows for the exploration of their biophysical properties, which are affected in many diseases. However, because of their nonspherical shape, the numerical calculation of the optical forces is slow, limiting the range of situations that can be explored. Here we train a neural network that improves both the accuracy and the speed of the calculation and we employ it to simulate the motion of a red blood cell under different beam configurations. We found that by fixing two beams and controlling the position of a third, it is possible to control the tilting of the cell. We anticipate this work to be a promising approach to study the trapping of complex shaped and inhomogeneous biological materials, where the possible photodamage imposes restrictions in the beam power.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Tognato
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - D. Bronte Ciriza
- CNR-IPCF, Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici, Messina, I- 98158, Italy
| | - O. M. Maragò
- CNR-IPCF, Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici, Messina, I- 98158, Italy
| | - P. H. Jones
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
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31
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Xiao J, Plaskocinski T, Biabanifard M, Persheyev S, Di Falco A. On-Chip Optical Trapping with High NA Metasurfaces. ACS PHOTONICS 2023; 10:1341-1348. [PMID: 37215320 PMCID: PMC10197168 DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.2c01986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Optical trapping of small particles typically requires the use of high NA microscope objectives. Photonic metasurfaces are an attractive alternative to create strongly focused beams for optical trapping applications in an integrated platform. Here, we report on the design, fabrication, and characterization of optical metasurfaces with a numerical aperture up to 1.2 and trapping stiffness greater than 400 pN/μm/W. We demonstrate that these metasurfaces perform as well as microscope objectives with the same numerical aperture. We systematically analyze the impact of the metasurface dimension on the trapping performance and show efficient trapping with metasurfaces with an area as small as 0.001 mm2. Finally, we demonstrate the versatility of the platform by designing metasurfaces able to create multisite optical tweezers for the trapping of extended objects.
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32
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Park S, Chien AL, Brown ID, Chen J. Characterizing viscoelastic properties of human melanoma tissue using Prony series. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1162880. [PMID: 37091343 PMCID: PMC10117758 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1162880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is the most invasive and deadly skin cancer, which causes most of the deaths from skin cancer. It has been demonstrated that the mechanical properties of tumor tissue are significantly altered. However, data about characterizing the mechanical properties of in vivo melanoma tissue are extremely scarce. In addition, the viscoelastic or viscous properties of melanoma tissue are rarely reported. In this study, we measured and quantitated the viscoelastic properties of human melanoma tissues based on the stress relaxation test, using the indentation-based mechanical analyzer that we developed previously. The melanoma tissues from eight patients of different ages (57–95), genders (male and female patients), races (White and Asian), and sites (nose, arm, shoulder, and chest) were excised and tested. The results showed that the elastic property (i.e., shear modulus) of melanoma tissue was elevated compared to normal tissue, while the viscous property (i.e., relaxation time) was reduced. Moreover, the tissue thickness had a significant impact on the viscoelastic properties, probably due to the amount of the adipose layer. Our findings provide new insights into the role of the viscous and elastic properties of melanoma cell mechanics, which may be implicated in the disease state and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungman Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Institute for NanoBio Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Seungman Park,
| | - Anna L. Chien
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Isabelle D. Brown
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jingchun Chen
- Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
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33
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Rafferty A, Vennes B, Bain A, Preston TC. Optical trapping and light scattering in atmospheric aerosol science. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:7066-7089. [PMID: 36852581 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp05301b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Aerosol particles are ubiquitous in the atmosphere, and currently contribute a large uncertainty to climate models. Part of the endeavour to reduce this uncertainty takes the form of improving our understanding of aerosol at the microphysical level, thus enabling chemical and physical processes to be more accurately represented in larger scale models. In addition to modeling efforts, there is a need to develop new instruments and methodologies to interrogate the physicochemical properties of aerosol. This perspective presents the development, theory, and application of optical trapping, a powerful tool for single particle investigations of aerosol. After providing an overview of the role of aerosol in Earth's atmosphere and the microphysics of these particles, we present a brief history of optical trapping and a more detailed look at its application to aerosol particles. We also compare optical trapping to other single particle techniques. Understanding the interaction of light with single particles is essential for interpreting experimental measurements. In the final part of this perspective, we provide the relevant formalism for understanding both elastic and inelastic light scattering for single particles. The developments discussed here go beyond Mie theory and include both how particle and beam shape affect spectra. Throughout the entirety of this work, we highlight numerous references and examples, mostly from the last decade, of the application of optical trapping to systems that are relevant to the atmospheric aerosol.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin Vennes
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Alison Bain
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Thomas C Preston
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. .,Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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34
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Magazzù A, Marcuello C. Investigation of Soft Matter Nanomechanics by Atomic Force Microscopy and Optical Tweezers: A Comprehensive Review. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:nano13060963. [PMID: 36985857 PMCID: PMC10053849 DOI: 10.3390/nano13060963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Soft matter exhibits a multitude of intrinsic physico-chemical attributes. Their mechanical properties are crucial characteristics to define their performance. In this context, the rigidity of these systems under exerted load forces is covered by the field of biomechanics. Moreover, cellular transduction processes which are involved in health and disease conditions are significantly affected by exogenous biomechanical actions. In this framework, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical tweezers (OT) can play an important role to determine the biomechanical parameters of the investigated systems at the single-molecule level. This review aims to fully comprehend the interplay between mechanical forces and soft matter systems. In particular, we outline the capabilities of AFM and OT compared to other classical bulk techniques to determine nanomechanical parameters such as Young's modulus. We also provide some recent examples of nanomechanical measurements performed using AFM and OT in hydrogels, biopolymers and cellular systems, among others. We expect the present manuscript will aid potential readers and stakeholders to fully understand the potential applications of AFM and OT to soft matter systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Magazzù
- CNR-IPCF, Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici, 98158 Mesina, Italy
- NLHT-Lab, Department of Physics, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Carlos Marcuello
- Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas (LMA), Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-876555357
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35
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Wang D, Nguyen HG, Nakayama M, Oshima H, Sun L, Oshima M, Watanabe S. Mapping Nanomechanical Properties of Basal Surfaces in Metastatic Intestinal 3D Living Organoids with High-Speed Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2206213. [PMID: 36504356 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202206213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Studying mechanobiology is increasing of scientific interests in life science and nanotechnology since its impact on cell activities (e.g., adhesion, migration), physiology, and pathology. The role of apical surface (AS) and basal surface (BS) of cells played in mechanobiology is significant. The mechanical mapping and analysis of cells mainly focus on AS while little is known about BS. Here, high-speed scanning ion conductance microscope as a powerful tool is utilized to simultaneously reveal morphologies and local elastic modulus (E) of BS of genotype-defined metastatic intestinal organoids. A simple method is developed to prepare organoid samples allowing for long-term BS imaging. The multiple nano/microstructures, i.e., ridge-like, stress-fiber, and E distributions on BS are dynamically revealed. The statistic E analysis shows softness of BS derived from eight types of organoids following a ranking: malignant tumor cells > benign tumor cells > normal cells. Moreover, the correlation factor between morphology and E is demonstrated depending on cell types. This work as first example reveals the subcellular morphologies and E distributions of BS of cells. The results would provide a clue for correlating genotype of 3D cells to malignant phenotype reflected by E and offering a promising strategy for early-stage diagnosis of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Wang
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
- Division of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Han Gia Nguyen
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Mizuho Nakayama
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
- Division of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Hiroko Oshima
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
- Division of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Linhao Sun
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Masanobu Oshima
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
- Division of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Shinji Watanabe
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
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36
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Leonov S, Inyang O, Achkasov K, Bogdan E, Kontareva E, Chen Y, Fu Y, Osipov AN, Pustovalova M, Merkher Y. Proteomic Markers for Mechanobiological Properties of Metastatic Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054773. [PMID: 36902201 PMCID: PMC10003476 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The major cause (more than 90%) of all cancer-related deaths is metastasis, thus its prediction can critically affect the survival rate. Metastases are currently predicted by lymph-node status, tumor size, histopathology and genetic testing; however, all these are not infallible, and obtaining results may require weeks. The identification of new potential prognostic factors will be an important source of risk information for the practicing oncologist, potentially leading to enhanced patient care through the proactive optimization of treatment strategies. Recently, the new mechanobiology-related techniques, independent of genetics, based on the mechanical invasiveness of cancer cells (microfluidic, gel indentation assays, migration assays etc.), demonstrated a high success rate for the detection of tumor cell metastasis propensity. However, they are still far away from clinical implementation due to complexity. Hence, the exploration of novel markers related to the mechanobiological properties of tumor cells may have a direct impact on the prognosis of metastasis. Our concise review deepens our knowledge of the factors that regulate cancer cell mechanotype and invasion, and incites further studies to develop therapeutics that target multiple mechanisms of invasion for improved clinical benefit. It may open a new clinical dimension that will improve cancer prognosis and increase the effectiveness of tumor therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Leonov
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
- Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Olumide Inyang
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Konstantin Achkasov
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Elizaveta Bogdan
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Elizaveta Kontareva
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Yongheng Chen
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics & State Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Anticancer Drugs, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Ying Fu
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics & State Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Anticancer Drugs, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Andreyan N. Osipov
- State Research Center—Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center of Federal Medical-Biological Agency, 123098 Moscow, Russia
- N.N. Semenov Federal Research Center for Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Margarita Pustovalova
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
- State Research Center—Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center of Federal Medical-Biological Agency, 123098 Moscow, Russia
| | - Yulia Merkher
- School of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
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37
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Salipante PF. Microfluidic techniques for mechanical measurements of biological samples. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:011303. [PMID: 38505816 PMCID: PMC10903441 DOI: 10.1063/5.0130762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
The use of microfluidics to make mechanical property measurements is increasingly common. Fabrication of microfluidic devices has enabled various types of flow control and sensor integration at micrometer length scales to interrogate biological materials. For rheological measurements of biofluids, the small length scales are well suited to reach high rates, and measurements can be made on droplet-sized samples. The control of flow fields, constrictions, and external fields can be used in microfluidics to make mechanical measurements of individual bioparticle properties, often at high sampling rates for high-throughput measurements. Microfluidics also enables the measurement of bio-surfaces, such as the elasticity and permeability properties of layers of cells cultured in microfluidic devices. Recent progress on these topics is reviewed, and future directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul F. Salipante
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Polymers and Complex Fluids Group, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
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38
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Weber A, Vivanco MDM, Toca-Herrera JL. Application of self-organizing maps to AFM-based viscoelastic characterization of breast cancer cell mechanics. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3087. [PMID: 36813800 PMCID: PMC9947176 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30156-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell mechanical properties have been proposed as label free markers for diagnostic purposes in diseases such as cancer. Cancer cells show altered mechanical phenotypes compared to their healthy counterparts. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a widely utilized tool to study cell mechanics. These measurements often need skilful users, physical modelling of mechanical properties and expertise in data interpretation. Together with the need to perform many measurements for statistical significance and to probe wide enough areas in tissue structures, the application of machine learning and artificial neural network techniques to automatically classify AFM datasets has received interest recently. We propose the use of self-organizing maps (SOMs) as unsupervised artificial neural network applied to mechanical measurements performed via AFM on epithelial breast cancer cells treated with different substances that affect estrogen receptor signalling. We show changes in mechanical properties due to treatments, as estrogen softened the cells, while resveratrol led to an increase in cell stiffness and viscosity. These data were then used as input for SOMs. Our approach was able to distinguish between estrogen treated, control and resveratrol treated cells in an unsupervised manner. In addition, the maps enabled investigation of the relationship of the input variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Weber
- Institute of Biophysics, Department of Bionanosciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria dM Vivanco
- CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance, BRTA, Technological Park of Bizkaia, Derio, Spain
| | - José L Toca-Herrera
- Institute of Biophysics, Department of Bionanosciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria.
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39
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Lamont S, Fropier J, Abadie J, Piat E, Constantinescu A, Roux C, Vernerey F. Profiling oocytes with neural networks from images and mechanical data. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2023; 138:105640. [PMID: 36566663 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2022.105640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The success rate of assisted reproductive technologies could be greatly improved by selectively choosing egg cells (oocytes) with the greatest chance of fertilization. The goal of mechanical profiling is, thus, to improve predictive oocyte selection by isolating the mechanical properties of oocytes and correlating them to their reproductive potential. The restrictions on experimental platforms, however - including minimal invasiveness and practicality in laboratory implementation - greatly limits the data that can be acquired from a single oocyte. In this study, we perform indentation studies on human oocytes and characterize the mechanical properties of the zona pellucida, the outer layer of the oocyte. We obtain excellent fitting with our physical model when indenting with a flat surface and clearly illustrate localized shear-thinning behavior of the zona pellucida, which has not been previously reported. We conclude by outlining a promising methodology for isolating the mechanical properties of the cytoplasm using neural networks and optical images taken during indentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Lamont
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Program of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, United States of America
| | - Juliette Fropier
- Laboratoire de Mécanique des Solides - CNRS - École Polytechnique - Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128, Palaiseau, France
| | - Joel Abadie
- FEMTO-ST Institute, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, 15B avenue des Montboucons, 25030 Besançon, cedex, France
| | - Emmanuel Piat
- FEMTO-ST Institute, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, 15B avenue des Montboucons, 25030 Besançon, cedex, France
| | - Andrei Constantinescu
- Laboratoire de Mécanique des Solides - CNRS - École Polytechnique - Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128, Palaiseau, France
| | - Christophe Roux
- Service de Biologie et Médecine de la Reproduction - Cryobiologie - CECOS Franche-Comté Bourgogne, CHRU Jean Minjoz, 3 Bd Fleming, 25030 Besançon cedex, France
| | - Franck Vernerey
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Program of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, United States of America.
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40
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Mohagheghian E, Luo J, Yavitt FM, Wei F, Bhala P, Amar K, Rashid F, Wang Y, Liu X, Ji C, Chen J, Arnold DP, Liu Z, Anseth KS, Wang N. Quantifying stiffness and forces of tumor colonies and embryos using a magnetic microrobot. Sci Robot 2023; 8:eadc9800. [PMID: 36696474 PMCID: PMC10098875 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adc9800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Stiffness and forces are two fundamental quantities essential to living cells and tissues. However, it has been a challenge to quantify both 3D traction forces and stiffness (or modulus) using the same probe in vivo. Here, we describe an approach that overcomes this challenge by creating a magnetic microrobot probe with controllable functionality. Biocompatible ferromagnetic cobalt-platinum microcrosses were fabricated, and each microcross (about 30 micrometers) was trapped inside an arginine-glycine-apartic acid-conjugated stiff poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) round microgel (about 50 micrometers) using a microfluidic device. The stiff magnetic microrobot was seeded inside a cell colony and acted as a stiffness probe by rigidly rotating in response to an oscillatory magnetic field. Then, brief episodes of ultraviolet light exposure were applied to dynamically photodegrade and soften the fluorescent nanoparticle-embedded PEG microgel, whose deformation and 3D traction forces were quantified. Using the microrobot probe, we show that malignant tumor-repopulating cell colonies altered their modulus but not traction forces in response to different 3D substrate elasticities. Stiffness and 3D traction forces were measured, and both normal and shear traction force oscillations were observed in zebrafish embryos from blastula to gastrula. Mouse embryos generated larger tensile and compressive traction force oscillations than shear traction force oscillations during blastocyst. The microrobot probe with controllable functionality via magnetic fields could potentially be useful for studying the mechanoregulation of cells, tissues, and embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erfan Mohagheghian
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Junyu Luo
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory for Cellular Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - F. Max Yavitt
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Fuxiang Wei
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory for Cellular Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Parth Bhala
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Kshitij Amar
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Fazlur Rashid
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Yuzheng Wang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Xingchen Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Chenyang Ji
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory for Cellular Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Junwei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, Laboratory for Cellular Biomechanics and Regenerative Medicine, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - David P. Arnold
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Zhen Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Kristi S. Anseth
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Ning Wang
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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41
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In Situ Measurements of Cell Mechanical Properties Using Force Spectroscopy. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2600:25-43. [PMID: 36587088 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2851-5_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Mechanobiology focuses on how physical forces and the mechanical properties of cells and whole tissues affect their function. The mechanical properties of cells are of particular interest to developmental biology and stem cell differentiation, lymphocyte activation and phagocytic action in phagocytes, and development of malignant tumors and metastases. These properties can be measured on whole tissue and cell culture. Advances in instrument sensitivity and design, as well as improved techniques and scientific know-how achieved over the past few decades, allow researchers to study the mechanical properties of single cells and even at the subcellular level. Particularly, nanoindentation measurements using atomic force microscopy (AFM) mechanically probes single cells and even allows mapping of these traits. This chapter discusses these measurements from the experimental design to the analysis.
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42
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Caveolin-1 dolines form a distinct and rapid caveolae-independent mechanoadaptation system. Nat Cell Biol 2023; 25:120-133. [PMID: 36543981 PMCID: PMC9859760 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-01034-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In response to different types and intensities of mechanical force, cells modulate their physical properties and adapt their plasma membrane (PM). Caveolae are PM nano-invaginations that contribute to mechanoadaptation, buffering tension changes. However, whether core caveolar proteins contribute to PM tension accommodation independently from the caveolar assembly is unknown. Here we provide experimental and computational evidence supporting that caveolin-1 confers deformability and mechanoprotection independently from caveolae, through modulation of PM curvature. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy reveals that caveolin-1 stabilizes non-caveolar invaginations-dolines-capable of responding to low-medium mechanical forces, impacting downstream mechanotransduction and conferring mechanoprotection to cells devoid of caveolae. Upon cavin-1/PTRF binding, doline size is restricted and membrane buffering is limited to relatively high forces, capable of flattening caveolae. Thus, caveolae and dolines constitute two distinct albeit complementary components of a buffering system that allows cells to adapt efficiently to a broad range of mechanical stimuli.
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43
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Taraconat P, Gineys JP, Isebe D, Nicoud F, Mendez S. Red blood cell rheology during a complete blood count: A proof of concept. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280952. [PMID: 36706122 PMCID: PMC9882912 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Counting and sizing blood cells in hematological analyzers is achieved using the Coulter principle. The cells flow in a micro-aperture in which a strong electrical field is imposed, so that an electrical perturbation, called pulse, is measured each time a cell crosses the orifice. The pulses are expected to contain information on the shape and deformability of Red Blood Cells (RBCs), since recent studies state that RBCs rotate and deform in the micro-orifice. By implementing a dedicated numerical model, the present study sheds light on a variety of cells dynamics, which leads to different associated pulse signatures. Furthermore, simulations provide new insights on how RBCs shapes and mechanical properties affect the measured signals. Those numerical observations are confirmed by experimental assays. Finally, specific features are introduced for assessing the most relevant characteristics from the various pulse signatures and shown to highlight RBCs alterations induced by drugs. In summary, this study paves the way to a characterization of RBC rheology by routine hematological instruments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Taraconat
- Horiba Medical, Montpellier, France
- Institut Montpellierain Alexander Grothendieck, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- * E-mail: (PT); (SM)
| | | | | | - Franck Nicoud
- Institut Montpellierain Alexander Grothendieck, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Simon Mendez
- Institut Montpellierain Alexander Grothendieck, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- * E-mail: (PT); (SM)
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44
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Tognato R, Jones PH. Ray Optics Model for Optical Trapping of Biconcave Red Blood Cells. MICROMACHINES 2022; 14:mi14010083. [PMID: 36677144 PMCID: PMC9867239 DOI: 10.3390/mi14010083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Red blood cells (RBCs) or erythrocytes are essential for oxygenating the peripherical tissue in the human body. Impairment of their physical properties may lead to severe diseases. Optical tweezers have in experiments been shown to be a powerful tool for assessing the biochemical and biophysical properties of RBCs. Despite this success there has been little theoretical work investigating of the stability of erythrocytes in optical tweezers. In this paper we report a numerical study of the trapping of RBCs in the healthy, native biconcave disk conformation in optical tweezers using the ray optics approximation. We study trapping using both single- and dual-beam optical tweezers and show that the complex biconcave shape of the RBC is a significant factor in determining the optical forces and torques on the cell, and ultimately the equilibrium configuration of the RBC within the trap. We also numerically demonstrate how the addition of a third or even fourth trapping laser beam can be used to control the cell orientation in the optical trap. The present investigation sheds light on the trapping mechanism of healthy erythrocytes and can be exploited by experimentalist to envisage new experiments.
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45
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Wubshet NH, Liu AP. Methods to mechanically perturb and characterize GUV-based minimal cell models. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 21:550-562. [PMID: 36659916 PMCID: PMC9816913 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells shield organelles and the cytosol via an active boundary predominantly made of phospholipids and membrane proteins, yet allowing communication between the intracellular and extracellular environment. Micron-sized liposome compartments commonly known as giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) are used to model the cell membrane and encapsulate biological materials and processes in a cell-like confinement. In the field of bottom-up synthetic biology, many have utilized GUVs as substrates to study various biological processes such as protein-lipid interactions, cytoskeletal assembly, and dynamics of protein synthesis. Like cells, it is ideal that GUVs are also mechanically durable and able to stay intact when the inner and outer environment changes. As a result, studies have demonstrated approaches to tune the mechanical properties of GUVs by modulating membrane composition and lumenal material property. In this context, there have been many different methods developed to test the mechanical properties of GUVs. In this review, we will survey various perturbation techniques employed to mechanically characterize GUVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadab H. Wubshet
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Allen P. Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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46
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Jeon HJ, Lim HG, Shung KK, Lee OJ, Kim MG. Automated cell-type classification combining dilated convolutional neural networks with label-free acoustic sensing. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19873. [PMID: 36400803 PMCID: PMC9674693 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22075-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to automatically classify live cells based on their cell type by analyzing the patterns of backscattered signals of cells with minimal effect on normal cell physiology and activity. Our previous studies have demonstrated that label-free acoustic sensing using high-frequency ultrasound at a high pulse repetition frequency (PRF) can capture and analyze a single object from a heterogeneous sample. However, eliminating possible errors in the manual setting and time-consuming processes when postprocessing integrated backscattering (IB) coefficients of backscattered signals is crucial. In this study, an automated cell-type classification system that combines a label-free acoustic sensing technique with deep learning-empowered artificial intelligence models is proposed. We applied an one-dimensional (1D) convolutional autoencoder to denoise the signals and conducted data augmentation based on Gaussian noise injection to enhance the robustness of the proposed classification system to noise. Subsequently, denoised backscattered signals were classified into specific cell types using convolutional neural network (CNN) models for three types of signal data representations, including 1D CNN models for waveform and frequency spectrum analysis and two-dimensional (2D) CNN models for spectrogram analysis. We evaluated the proposed system by classifying two types of cells (e.g., RBC and PNT1A) and two types of polystyrene microspheres by analyzing their backscattered signal patterns. We attempted to discover cell physical properties reflected on backscattered signals by controlling experimental variables, such as diameter and structure material. We further evaluated the effectiveness of the neural network models and efficacy of data representations by comparing their accuracy with that of baseline methods. Therefore, the proposed system can be used to classify reliably and precisely several cell types with different intrinsic physical properties for personalized cancer medicine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeon-Ju Jeon
- grid.482520.90000 0004 0578 4668Data Assimilation Group, Korea Institute of Atmospheric Prediction Systems, Seoul, 07071 Republic of Korea
| | - Hae Gyun Lim
- grid.412576.30000 0001 0719 8994Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, 48513 Republic of Korea
| | - K. Kirk Shung
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
| | - O-Joun Lee
- grid.411947.e0000 0004 0470 4224Department of Artificial Intelligence, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon, 14662 Republic of Korea
| | - Min Gon Kim
- grid.42505.360000 0001 2156 6853Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
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47
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Su Z, Chen Z, Ma K, Chen H, Ho JWK. Molecular determinants of intrinsic cellular stiffness in health and disease. Biophys Rev 2022; 14:1197-1209. [PMID: 36345276 PMCID: PMC9636357 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-022-00997-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the role of intrinsic biophysical features, especially cellular stiffness, in diverse cellular and disease processes is being increasingly recognized. New high throughput techniques for the quantification of cellular stiffness facilitate the study of their roles in health and diseases. In this review, we summarized recent discovery about how cellular stiffness is involved in cell stemness, tumorigenesis, and blood diseases. In addition, we review the molecular mechanisms underlying the gene regulation of cellular stiffness in health and disease progression. Finally, we discussed the current understanding on how the cytoskeleton structure and the regulation of these genes contribute to cellular stiffness, highlighting where the field of cellular stiffness is headed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zezhuo Su
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR China
- Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health Limited (D24H), Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, SAR China
| | - Zhenlin Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, SAR China
| | - Kun Ma
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR China
- Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health Limited (D24H), Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, SAR China
| | - Huaying Chen
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518055 China
| | - Joshua W. K. Ho
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR China
- Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health Limited (D24H), Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, SAR China
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Abuhattum S, Kuan HS, Müller P, Guck J, Zaburdaev V. Unbiased retrieval of frequency-dependent mechanical properties from noisy time-dependent signals. BIOPHYSICAL REPORTS 2022; 2:100054. [PMID: 36425327 PMCID: PMC9680806 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpr.2022.100054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The mechanical response of materials to dynamic loading is often quantified by the frequency-dependent complex modulus. Probing materials directly in the frequency domain faces technical challenges such as a limited range of frequencies, long measurement times, or small sample sizes. Furthermore, many biological samples, such as cells or tissues, can change their properties upon repetitive probing at different frequencies. Therefore, it is common practice to extract the material properties by fitting predefined mechanical models to measurements performed in the time domain. This practice, however, precludes the probing of unique and yet unexplored material properties. In this report, we demonstrate that the frequency-dependent complex modulus can be robustly retrieved in a model-independent manner directly from time-dependent stress-strain measurements. While applying a rolling average eliminates random noise and leads to a reliable complex modulus in the lower frequency range, a Fourier transform with a complex frequency helps to recover the material properties at high frequencies. Finally, by properly designing the probing procedure, the recovery of reliable mechanical properties can be extended to an even wider frequency range. Our approach can be used with many state-of-the-art experimental methods to interrogate the mechanical properties of biological and other complex materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shada Abuhattum
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Hui-Shun Kuan
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
| | - Paul Müller
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jochen Guck
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Vasily Zaburdaev
- Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
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Chen Y, Guo K, Jiang L, Zhu S, Ni Z, Xiang N. Microfluidic deformability cytometry: A review. Talanta 2022; 251:123815. [DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2022.123815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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50
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Hauck N, Beck T, Cojoc G, Schlüßler R, Ahmed S, Raguzin I, Mayer M, Schubert J, Müller P, Guck J, Thiele J. PNIPAAm microgels with defined network architecture as temperature sensors in optical stretchers. MATERIALS ADVANCES 2022; 3:6179-6190. [PMID: 35979502 PMCID: PMC9342673 DOI: 10.1039/d2ma00296e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Stretching individual living cells with light is a standard method to assess their mechanical properties. Yet, heat introduced by the laser light of optical stretchers may unwittingly change the mechanical properties of cells therein. To estimate the temperature induced by an optical trap, we introduce cell-sized, elastic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) microgels that relate temperature changes to hydrogel swelling. For their usage as a standardized calibration tool, we analyze the effect of free-radical chain-growth gelation (FCG) and polymer-analogous photogelation (PAG) on hydrogel network heterogeneity, micromechanics, and temperature response by Brillouin microscopy and optical diffraction tomography. Using a combination of tailor-made PNIPAAm macromers, PAG, and microfluidic processing, we obtain microgels with homogeneous network architecture. With that, we expand the capability of standardized microgels in calibrating and validating cell mechanics analysis, not only considering cell and microgel elasticity but also providing stimuli-responsiveness to consider dynamic changes that cells may undergo during characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Hauck
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics D-01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Timon Beck
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden D-01307 Dresden Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light Staudtstraße 2 D-91058 Erlangen Germany
| | - Gheorghe Cojoc
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden D-01307 Dresden Germany
| | - Raimund Schlüßler
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden D-01307 Dresden Germany
| | - Saeed Ahmed
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden D-01307 Dresden Germany
| | - Ivan Raguzin
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics D-01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Martin Mayer
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics D-01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Jonas Schubert
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics D-01069 Dresden Germany
| | - Paul Müller
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light Staudtstraße 2 D-91058 Erlangen Germany
| | - Jochen Guck
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Biotechnology Center, Technische Universität Dresden D-01307 Dresden Germany
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light Staudtstraße 2 D-91058 Erlangen Germany
| | - Julian Thiele
- Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Institute of Physical Chemistry and Polymer Physics D-01069 Dresden Germany
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