Ablation of cytoskeletal filaments and mitochondria in cells using a femtosecond laser nanoscissor

Citation:

N. Shen, D. Datta, C. B. Schaffer, P. LeDuc, D. E. Ingber, and E. Mazur. 2005. “Ablation of cytoskeletal filaments and mitochondria in cells using a femtosecond laser nanoscissor.” Mechanics and Chemistry of Biosystems, 2, Pp. 17–26. Publisher's Version

Abstract:

Analysis of cell regulation requires methods for perturbing molecular processes within living cells with spatial discrimination on the nanometer- scale. We present a technique for ablating molecular structures in living cells using low-repetition rate, low-energy femtosecond laser pulses. By tightly focusing these pulses beneath the cell membrane, we ablate cellular material inside the cell through nonlinear processes. We selectively removed sub- micrometer regions of the cytoskeleton and individual mitochondria without altering neighboring structures or compromising cell viability. This nanoscissor technique enables non-invasive manipulation of the structural machinery of living cells with several-hundred-nanometer resolution. Using this approach, we unequivocally demonstrate that mitochondria are structurally independent functional units, and do not form a continuous network as suggested by some past studies. Keywords: Nanoscissor; nanosurgery; femtosecond laser; photodisruption; cytoskeleton; mitochondria
Last updated on 07/24/2019