Channels

 

Special Offers & Promotions

 

 

Latest News

 

 

View Channel

New Products

 

 

View Channel

Video Presentations

 

 

View Channel

Separation Science

 

 

View Channel

Microscopy & Image Analysis

 

 

View Channel

Laboratory Automation & IT Solutions

 

 

View Channel

 

JPK Reports on the Use of Optical Tweezers in the Schieber Research Group at Illinois Institute of Technology

publication date: Apr 20, 2015
 | 
author/source: JPK Instruments AG

JPK Instruments, a world-leading manufacturer of nanoanalytic instrumentation for research in life sciences and soft matter, reports on the use of their NanoTracker™ optical tweezers system to study collagen fibrils at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. 

Pavel Dutov at the Illinois Institute of TechnologyThe Schieber Research Group is led by Jay Schieber, Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology where he is also Director of the Center for Molecular Study of Condensed Soft Matter. Current research focuses on the kinetic theory of macromolecules to model the rheological, thermodynamic and thermal behaviour of polymeric fluids. These models are then used to predict the properties of advanced materials during and after processing. 

The group purchased a JPK Instruments NanoTracker™ to help them to investigate micro-rheological processes. Micro-rheology (or microbead rheology) is a fairly new branch of rheology. It allows the measurement of the viscoelastic properties of media by tracking thermal fluctuations of Brownian particles contained in the media. The key value of this method is the resolution of the tracking. 

The early work with NanoTracker™ took a different direction. One of the post-doctoral workers is Pavel Dutov. He has looked extensively at the use of optical tweezers and published a paper with Professor Schieber on the calibration of optical traps by dual trapping of one bead.* Mr Dutkov also studied the elastic modulus of collagen fiber before embarking on the micro-rheological work with the study of collagen type I gel. Here, he looked at the anisotropic viscoelastic properties of the gel as these are very important aspects for wound healing biomedicine and there is no other experimental method can be used for such studies. 

In the measurement of collagen single fiber elastic modulus, NanoTracker™ has shown precision unreachable by use of AFM alone and has the ability to conduct experiments in conditions close to those in vivo. For the anisotropic microbead rheology experiments, NanoTracker™ provided great combination of spatial and temporal resolution with data analysis transparency. 


more about JPK instruments


more news from JPK instruments


 


If you have not logged into the website then please enter your details below.



 

Subscribe to any of our newsletters for the latest on new laboratory products, industry news, case studies and much more!

Newsletters from Lab Bulletin

 

Request your free copies HERE

 

 

 

Popular this Month

Top 10 most popular articles this month

 

 

Today's Picks

 


 

Looking for a Supplier?

Search by company or by product

 


Company Name:

Product:


 

 

 

 

Please note Lab Bulletin does not sell, supply any of the products featured on this website. If you have an enquiry, please use the contact form below the article or company profile and we will send your request to the supplier so that they can contact you directly.

Lab Bulletin is published by newleaf marketing communications ltd.


 

Media Partners

 

Exhibitions & Events