Posted by Brian Myers | Published
A breakthrough technology from scientists at MIT has made it possible to manipulate particles in what has been called reminiscent of the tractor beam in Star Wars and Star Trek. The microchip contains many optical traps that work to focus light rays that separate biological particles and control their movement, opening the way for cells and DNA particles to be controlled. Engineers hope the chip-based technology will provide a “compact, affordable, and flexible solution” to treat diseases such as cancer.
Light from tractor beam it is able to penetrate barriers that protect samples from contamination, making testing and treatment potentially safer.
If cells are trapped inside the tractor, tweezers can be used to move the cells and/or detached particles. MIT researchers first tried this technique on polystyrene spheres where they were working to isolate cancer cells before using tweezers to capture and control their movement.
This is the first time that silicon-photonics-based tweezers can capture particles “beyond the millimeter scale,” said Jelena Notaros, a researcher who serves as the Robert J. Shillman Career Development Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
The light from the tractor beam is able to penetrate the barriers that protect the samples from contamination, making testing and treatment a safer option. Light has been proven to have the ability to pass through the glass that protects cells. This means that the sterility of the sample will not be compromised.
With the precision of the tractor’s metal and its ability to penetrate glass, Notaros hopes the technology will allow researchers to test their work in natural, as opposed to artificial, settings.
The tractor beams don’t have to be over the same area as the cells to work well, either. An integrated optical phased array (IOPA), as it is called, can trigger cells from a distance. Notaros says this capability will really open doors for technology.
With the precision of the tractor’s metal and its ability to penetrate glass, Notaros hopes the technology will allow researchers to test their work in natural, as opposed to artificial, settings. If this is successful, the work can be done in empty and stressful places.
As cellular processes continue to be explored, this tractor metal technology will allow researchers around the world to gain detailed information about the intricacies of these tiny particles.
Collaboration also works for the benefit of future researchers. The tractor’s ability to operate over long distances allows an entire lab-scale system to be placed on very small microchips. Notaros says this reduces overhead and lowers the barrier to entry for additional work.
As cellular processes continue to be explored, this tractor metal technology will allow researchers around the world to gain detailed information about the intricacies of these tiny particles. Additionally, DNA can be further studied, which may lead to the development of gene therapy in the future.
Sources: Engineering Interests
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