This document describes how researchers used optical tweezers to stretch and measure the elasticity of DNA strands. Optical tweezers use refracted and reflected laser light to apply tiny forces (piconewtons) to manipulate microscopic objects like DNA. The researchers attached one end of a DNA strand to a bead trapped by the tweezers and the other end to a movable stage. By varying the stage position and measuring the counteracting force from the tweezers, they could determine how much force was required to stretch the DNA and analyze its mechanical properties.
1. Stretching DNA with Optical Lasers
M.D. Wang, H. Yin, R. Landick, J. Gelles, S.M. Block
Biophysical Journal
Volume 72, Issue 3, March 1997, Pages 1335–1346
19. Sources:
- M.D. Wang, H. Yin, R. Landick, J. Gelles, S.M. Block. “Stretching
DNA with Optical Tweezers”, Biophysical Journal. Volume 72,
Issue 3, March 1997
- Steve Wasserman, Steven Nagel. “An Introduction to Optical
Trapping”, http://scripts.mit.edu/~20.309/wiki/index.php?
title=Optical_trap, MIT Bioinstrumentation Teaching Lab.
October 8, 2013