Chip-based "tractor beam" for biology

This is a news story, published by MSN, that relates primarily to MIT news.

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Phys Org

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Engineers create a chip-based tractor beam for biological particles

Summary

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MIT researchers have developed a chip-based "tractor beam" that could someday help biologists and clinicians study DNA, classify cells, and investigate the mechanisms of disease.

The device uses a beam of light emitted by a silicon-photonics chip to manipulate particles millimeters away from the chip surface.

The light can penetrate the glass cover slips that protect samples used in biological experiments, enabling cells to remain in a sterile environment.

The team hopes to refine the system to enable an adjustable focal height for the beam of light.

They also want to apply the device to different biological systems and use multiple trap sites at the same time to manipulate biological particles in more complex ways.

"Having these systems widely available will allow us to study fundamental problems in single-cell biophysics in ways previously only available to a few labs given the high cost and complexity of the instrumentation.

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