dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaCollecting single molecules with conventional optical tweezers
| Authors | Wolfgang Singer, Timo A. Nieminen, Norman R. Heckenberg, Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0702044 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0702044 |
| DOI | 10.1103/PhysRevE.75.011916 |
| Journal | Physical Review E 75(1), 011916 (2007) |
Abstract
The size of particles which can be trapped in optical tweezers ranges from tens of nanometres to tens of micrometres. This size regime also includes large single molecules. Here we present experiments demonstrating that optical tweezers can be used to collect polyethylene oxide (PEO) molecules suspended in water. The molecules that accumulate in the focal volume do not aggregate and therefore represent a region of increased molecule concentration, which can be controlled by the trapping potential. We also present a model which relates the change in concentration to the trapping potential. Since many protein molecules have molecular weights for which this method is applicable the effect may be useful in assisting nucleation of protein crystals.
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"abstract": "The size of particles which can be trapped in optical tweezers ranges from\ntens of nanometres to tens of micrometres. This size regime also includes large\nsingle molecules. Here we present experiments demonstrating that optical\ntweezers can be used to collect polyethylene oxide (PEO) molecules suspended in\nwater. The molecules that accumulate in the focal volume do not aggregate and\ntherefore represent a region of increased molecule concentration, which can be\ncontrolled by the trapping potential. We also present a model which relates the\nchange in concentration to the trapping potential. Since many protein molecules\nhave molecular weights for which this method is applicable the effect may be\nuseful in assisting nucleation of protein crystals.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0702044",
"authors": [
"Wolfgang Singer",
"Timo A. Nieminen",
"Norman R. Heckenberg",
"Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop"
],
"categories": [
"physics.optics",
"physics.class-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1103/PhysRevE.75.011916",
"journal_ref": "Physical Review E 75(1), 011916 (2007)",
"title": "Collecting single molecules with conventional optical tweezers",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0702044"
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