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Optical traps: shedding light on biological processes

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Abstract

Optical traps exploit the radiation forces of laser light to manipulate microscopic particles. The ability to manipulate biological material and quantify the force required has been exploited in the biosciences; from the isolation of single cells to kinetic measurements of single motor molecules. This review describes the theory of optical trapping and using recent publications gives examples of how it has been employed across a broad spectrum of biological research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Animal & Microbial Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AH, UK

    David Allaway, Neil A. Schofield & Philip S. Poole

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  1. David Allaway
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  2. Neil A. Schofield
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  3. Philip S. Poole
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Allaway, D., Schofield, N.A. & Poole, P.S. Optical traps: shedding light on biological processes. Biotechnology Letters 22, 887–892 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005647711606

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