Precision assembly of complex cellular microenvironments using holographic optical tweezers
The accurate study of cellular microenvironments is limited by the lack of technologies that can manipulate cells in 3D at a sufficiently small length scale. The ability to build and manipulate multicellular microscopic structures will facilitate a more detailed understanding of cellular function in...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
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Nature Publishing Group
2015
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/46559/ |
| _version_ | 1848797354304471040 |
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| author | Kirkham, Glen R. Britchford, Emily Upton, Thomas Ware, James Gibson, Graham Devaud, Yannick Ehrbar, Martin Padgett, Miles Allen, Stephanie Buttery, Lee D.K. Shakesheff, Kevin M. |
| author_facet | Kirkham, Glen R. Britchford, Emily Upton, Thomas Ware, James Gibson, Graham Devaud, Yannick Ehrbar, Martin Padgett, Miles Allen, Stephanie Buttery, Lee D.K. Shakesheff, Kevin M. |
| author_sort | Kirkham, Glen R. |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | The accurate study of cellular microenvironments is limited by the lack of technologies that can manipulate cells in 3D at a sufficiently small length scale. The ability to build and manipulate multicellular microscopic structures will facilitate a more detailed understanding of cellular function in fields such as developmental and stem cell biology. We present a holographic optical tweezers based technology to accurately generate bespoke cellular micro-architectures. Using embryonic stem cells, 3D structures of varying geometries were created and stabilized using hydrogels and cell-cell adhesion methods. Control of chemical microenvironments was achieved by the temporal release of specific factors from polymer microparticles positioned within these constructs. Complex co-culture micro-environmental analogues were also generated to reproduce structures found within adult stem cell niches. The application of holographic optical tweezers-based micromanipulation will enable novel insights into biological microenvironments by allowing researchers to form complex architectures with sub-micron precision of cells, matrices and molecules. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T20:02:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-46559 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T20:02:32Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publisher | Nature Publishing Group |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-465592020-05-04T17:02:00Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/46559/ Precision assembly of complex cellular microenvironments using holographic optical tweezers Kirkham, Glen R. Britchford, Emily Upton, Thomas Ware, James Gibson, Graham Devaud, Yannick Ehrbar, Martin Padgett, Miles Allen, Stephanie Buttery, Lee D.K. Shakesheff, Kevin M. The accurate study of cellular microenvironments is limited by the lack of technologies that can manipulate cells in 3D at a sufficiently small length scale. The ability to build and manipulate multicellular microscopic structures will facilitate a more detailed understanding of cellular function in fields such as developmental and stem cell biology. We present a holographic optical tweezers based technology to accurately generate bespoke cellular micro-architectures. Using embryonic stem cells, 3D structures of varying geometries were created and stabilized using hydrogels and cell-cell adhesion methods. Control of chemical microenvironments was achieved by the temporal release of specific factors from polymer microparticles positioned within these constructs. Complex co-culture micro-environmental analogues were also generated to reproduce structures found within adult stem cell niches. The application of holographic optical tweezers-based micromanipulation will enable novel insights into biological microenvironments by allowing researchers to form complex architectures with sub-micron precision of cells, matrices and molecules. Nature Publishing Group 2015-02-26 Article PeerReviewed Kirkham, Glen R., Britchford, Emily, Upton, Thomas, Ware, James, Gibson, Graham, Devaud, Yannick, Ehrbar, Martin, Padgett, Miles, Allen, Stephanie, Buttery, Lee D.K. and Shakesheff, Kevin M. (2015) Precision assembly of complex cellular microenvironments using holographic optical tweezers. Scientific Reports, 5 . 8577/1-8577/7. ISSN 2045-2322 https://www.nature.com/articles/srep08577 doi:10.1038/srep08577 doi:10.1038/srep08577 |
| spellingShingle | Kirkham, Glen R. Britchford, Emily Upton, Thomas Ware, James Gibson, Graham Devaud, Yannick Ehrbar, Martin Padgett, Miles Allen, Stephanie Buttery, Lee D.K. Shakesheff, Kevin M. Precision assembly of complex cellular microenvironments using holographic optical tweezers |
| title | Precision assembly of complex cellular microenvironments using holographic optical tweezers |
| title_full | Precision assembly of complex cellular microenvironments using holographic optical tweezers |
| title_fullStr | Precision assembly of complex cellular microenvironments using holographic optical tweezers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Precision assembly of complex cellular microenvironments using holographic optical tweezers |
| title_short | Precision assembly of complex cellular microenvironments using holographic optical tweezers |
| title_sort | precision assembly of complex cellular microenvironments using holographic optical tweezers |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/46559/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/46559/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/46559/ |