Optical tweezers constitute a powerful technique with a wide range of applications in biological studies. Nevertheless, the response of living matter to the interaction with laser light still remains unclear. Photothermal and photochemical effects primarily due to laser absorption seem to be the major detrimental causes. This work aims at assessing the laser heating effects on NG108 cells by studying the induction of apoptosis and necrosis on these cells. Furthermore, quantification of the local temperature increase in the focus of the optical trap with the back-focal-plane interferometry technique is also one of the main goals.

Date Published: 9 September 2011
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 8097, Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation VIII, 809724 (9 September 2011); doi: 10.1117/12.893352

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8097:
Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation VIII
Kishan Dholakia; Gabriel C. Spalding, Editor(s)