Live cell manipulator

Laser tweezers are non-contact tools that use light to trap, move and fuse particles, cells or organisms. An infrared laser beam is focused through an objective lens to create an intense optical radiation field. The resulting photon pressure at the surface of the particle or cell enables the operator to move the cells at will, sorting, separating or collecting the cells as required. By combining the system with an ultraviolet laser, cells can be cut free of surrounding structures enabling micro dissection. Where two cells have been trapped by the laser tweezers, the ultraviolet laser can be used to cut the cell membranes allowing the cells to fuse together. A similar process enables operators to insert particles into the cell, for example fluorescent beads, or to perform targeted transfection into the cells of DNA or proteins.

Equipment has become available that automates many of these laborious manual operations. The Cybox 'BioCyber' can be used to trap cells to form cell arrays for cell chips, protein chips and bio-chips enabling precise investigation of cell-to-cell interactions. Using the trapping and cutting programs, researchers can investigate stem cells and tissue engineered medical products. Using these laser tweezer tools researchers are now finally able to perform truely automated nano-engineering.