Study of mechanical properties and dynamics of biomembranes and single molecules with the use of laser beam - an overview

A micron-sized dielectric particle confined in a laser trap can be employed as a probe for the measurement of forces in the range from piconewtons to hundreds of piconewtons. Thus, if a biological system of interest (e.g. DNA molecule, single myosin or kinesin molecule, cell membrane) is attached to such a probe, its mechanical and dynamical properties (elasticity, viscosty, forces associated with movement) can be studied during its interaction with the environment with unprecedented resolution. This article introduces the basic principles of the laser trapping and force measurement and illustrates on several examples the great potential of the light-based force transducer for exploiting non-invasively the dynamics of basic biological systems