The Systems Biology of COVID-19 and the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The class will build a foundation that includes the emergence of complexity, simple biological subsystems, their reductionist and equivalent toy and organ-chip models, and the measurements required to specify model architecture and parameters. Applications to biology, physiology, medicine, chemical and biological defense, pharmacology, drug discovery, and toxicology. UGrad: PHYS 240 01 and BME 290B; Grad: PHYS 326 and BME 395C.
0. I had never heard of optical tweezers until a couple of days ago so knew very little.
ReplyDelete1. I learned that the optical tweezer traps tiny (nano- and micron-sized) particles by through exerting focused forces using lasers which has led to an increased understanding of DNA, proteins, and enzymes.
2. Can the principles behind optical tweezers be scaled up to large objects? Does the laser generate heat on the object in the trap / alter the object?
3. What are other applications optical tweezers?
4. I am impressed by the technology and application optical tweezers
1. a. The laser tweezers can exhibit force in the order of piconewtons. A single cell weighs about 10 piconewtons. The laser tweezers can be used for manipulation and detection of sub-nanometer displacements for sub-micron dielectric particles.
ReplyDeleteb. The basic principle of laser tweezers is manipulate dielectric particles using laser created electric field gradient.
SysBio13 Asgn_6C_Class_06_Wikipedia_02_2013_09_10
ReplyDelete0. Knew: Optical tweezing uses lasers to trap a small "bead" during which measurements can be taken.
1. Learned: Basics of how the microscopic object is trapped, and the three approaches based on wavelength.
2. Questions: When using optical tweezers to sort cells, do the cells already differ in charge based on their "type," or do you have to somehow attach a charged tracker on the cells of interest?
3. Presentation: optical fibers
4. Thoughts: Seems to take the objects out of the natural system...is it possible to study them in natural solutions/mini environment or do you have to completely remove them to a microscope slip?
0 Knew: Optical tweezers can be used to apply force to microparticles or measure forces produced by such particles.
ReplyDelete1 Learned: Optical tweezer setup, exactly how the laser is used to trap the particles (has to do with electric field produced by laser interacting with dielectric particles)
2 Pressing: Do molecules naturally function as diodes? How accurately can a laser target a specific molecule in a cell?
3 Presentation: Physics of Optical Fibers: Forces of Light
4 Thoughts: I think it is a very cool way to measure the forces generated by particles (like kinesins for instance as they're moving). I'm still very lost as to how it all works (physics and optics are not my strong suit), but I can see how it can be applied to biology.
Frank "Edad" Block, Jr.
ReplyDeleteAsgn_6C_Class_06_Wikipedia_02_2013_09_10
0. Knew: None of this.
1. Learned: Need to hold in three dimensions, as opposed to normal-world tweezers, which only hold an object stable in one dimension!
2. Pressing: I don't understand the figure next to "General Description." Is the molecule by the spring model the same as the one in the beam, and they are showing how it would be pulled in?
3. Presentation: The physics needed to understand what is going on with optical tweezers. I have forgotten most of the physics needed here - if indeed I ever knew it!
4. Thoughts: Can we rig up TWO optical tweezers and use them to manipulate molecules apart or together?
David Wooten
ReplyDeleteSysBio13 Asgn_6C_Class_06_Wikipedia_02_2013_09_10
0. Knew: Optical tweezers could apply forces to molecules
1. Learned: They usually act on a bead attached to a molecule, rather than the molecule itself.
2. Pressing ?: How big is an optical tweezer setup? How large of molecules can it manipulate?
3. Presentation: Optical tweezers in biological control theory
4. Thoughts: It would be cool if these be used as OoC actuators, but could they work in that environment (for molecules in an OoC)?
0. Knew: Optical tweezers can be used to isolate / trap cells or small molecules; shear force experiments using optical tweezers.
ReplyDelete1. Learned: Objects trapped or moved by the tweezers must be dielectric
2. Pressing ?: Does the optical tweezing method affect the properties or functions of the cells or molecules it is holding?
3. Using optical tweezers to simulate shear force.
4. Thoughts: Seems like optical tweezers could greatly affect the properties of the objects they trap. Have experiments been conducted to test this?
0. Knew: tabula rasa
ReplyDelete1. Learned: Dielectric molecules can be held in 3-D equilibrium by a combination of repulsive energy from photons trying to push the molecule along the laser and an attractive force directed toward the center axis.
2. Pressing: So different species attenuate different wavelengths, but what I don’t understand is what happens when these molecules absorb energy from the laser, do they become more reactive and change composition/breakdown? Essentially, what happens to a molecule undergoing ‘opticution’?
3. Presentation: A primer on lasers and their manipulation through optics, a lot of the finer details are over my head
4. Thoughts: This removes the necessity of having a physical medium to support the molecule in question
Blog Harvested
ReplyDeleteJPW