Utilization of Optical Tweezer Nanotechnology in Membrane Interaction Studies

Abstract

Optical tweezers have been a fixture of microscopic cell manipulation since the 1990s. Arthur Ashkin’s seminal work has led to the advancement of optical tweezers as an effective tool for assay development in the fields of physics and nanotechnology. As an advanced application of cell manipulation, optical tweezers have facilitated the study of a multitude of cellular and molecular interactions within the greater field of nanotechnology. In the three decades since the optical tweezers’ rise to prominence, different and versatile assays have emerged that further explore the biochemical pathways integral for cell proliferation and communication. The most critical organelle implicated in the communication and protection of single cells includes the plasma membrane. In the past three decades, novel assays have emerged which examine the plasma membrane’s role in cell-to-cell interaction and the specific protein components that serve integral membrane functions for the cell as a whole. To further understand the extent to which optical tweezers have evolved as a critical tool for cellular membrane assessment within the field of nanotechnology, the various novel assays, including pulling, indentation, and stretching assays, will be reviewed in the current research sector.