JPK Instruments' NanoTracker optical tweezers and 3D particle tracking system promises live cell imaging at a new level. It enables researchers to trap and track particles from several µm down to 30nm with the ability to control, manipulate and observe vesicles, endosomes, gene and drug spheres, viruses and bacteria, nanoprobes or -carriers, biomarkers or even whole cells in real time with nanometer precision.
The system aims to overcome limitations of other technologies such as epifluorescence, TIRF, LSM, and video particle tracking, and to open up new applications in many different disciplines including biophysics, biochemistry, cellular and medical research in microbiology, developmental- and system biology, infection research and immune response, toxicity of nanoparticles and many more.
Application include the study of single molecules & biopolymers, cell membranes, cell-particle interaction and viral and bacterial infection.
Until now, the majority of optical tweezers systems have been built by researchers for their own needs. There are variants consisting of different laser set-ups, single or multiple optical traps and different optical detection techniques. JPK's NanoTracker promises the first system with full integration into an inverted research microscope and complete environmental control of the sample. In general, experiments require long-term system stability and this is achieved with the choice of an ultra- stable 1064nm laser, a folded optical pathway in combination with a drift-compensated design.