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Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Development of Optical and Mechanical Techniques to Investigate Rheology and Adhesion in Biological and Biomimetic Systems
ClearInvestigation of Soft Matter Nanomechanics by Atomic Force Microscopy and Optical Tweezers: A Comprehensive Review
This review covers how atomic force microscopy and optical tweezers are used to measure the mechanical properties of soft materials like cells, proteins, and gels at the nanoscale. While not directly about microplastics, these tools are increasingly used to study how nano- and microplastic particles interact with cell membranes and biological tissues. Understanding these interactions at the molecular level helps explain how microplastics cause physical damage to cells.
Label-Free Quantification of Nanoplastic–Cell Membrane Interaction by Single Cell Deformation Plasmonic Imaging
Researchers used single-cell atomic force microscopy to directly measure the forces with which nanoplastics interact with cell membranes in living cells, providing label-free quantification of nanoplastic binding strength and membrane disruption at the individual cell level.
Nanoparticle-cell Membrane Interactions: Adsorption Kinetics and the Monolayer Response
This thesis investigated how engineered nanoparticles interact with cell membranes, including adsorption kinetics and how membranes respond to particle contact. Understanding nanoparticle-membrane interactions is directly relevant to how nanoplastics may enter cells and cause biological harm.
Uncovering Hidden Dynamics of Natural Photonic Structures Using Holographic Imaging
Researchers used holography and optics to reveal hidden nanoscale dynamics in natural photonic structures — biological surfaces that manipulate light through intricate nano-architectures. These optical techniques could be adapted for characterizing the fine structure of microplastic particles.
Interfacial Engineering of Soft Matter Substrates by Solid-State Polymer Adsorption
Researchers investigated interfacial engineering of soft matter substrates through solid-state polymer adsorption, examining how polymer films modify surface properties with implications for materials design and the broader understanding of polymer behavior relevant to plastic persistence in the environment.
Matrix Nanoscale Mechanics Regulates Exosome Production by Mesenchymal Stem Cells
This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it examines how the mechanical stiffness of a cell culture matrix affects exosome production by mesenchymal stem cells, a biomedical engineering study.
Label-free optical interferometric microscopy to characterize morphodynamics in living plants
Researchers developed a label-free optical interferometric microscopy technique to characterize morphodynamics in living plants, enabling non-invasive real-time observation of cellular processes without fluorescent markers or sample preparation.
Advances in assembled micro- and nanoscale mechanical contact probes
This review examined advances in assembled micro- and nanoscale mechanical contact probes used for characterizing surface properties and behavior, covering their development, diversification, and applications in physical and biological science for mapping surface and interface phenomena at nanometer resolution.
Entry of microparticles into giant lipid vesicles by optical tweezers
Using optical tweezers to apply precise forces, this study showed that microparticles can be pushed through lipid membrane vesicles — a model for cell membranes — when external mechanical force is applied and membrane tension is low. The findings provide mechanistic insight into how microplastics might physically cross cell membranes and enter cells, a key step in understanding potential cellular toxicity.
Role of atomic force microscopy in characterization of heterotypic cancer spheroids and their interaction with microplastic particles
Researchers used atomic force microscopy to characterize the mechanical properties of heterotypic cancer spheroids made from lung cancer cells, fibroblasts, and macrophages, and examined their interactions with microplastic particles. While the study found correlations between spheroid stiffness and cancer cell growth rates, microplastic uptake under dynamic conditions was low, highlighting the need for more quantitative methods to study particle-cell interactions.
Probing Friction and Adhesion of Individual Nanoplastic Particles
Using atomic force microscopy, researchers directly measured the friction and adhesion properties of individual nanoplastic particles on surfaces. These physical measurements provide insights into how nanoplastics interact with biological surfaces, which is relevant to understanding how they penetrate cells and tissues.
Opportunities in optical and electrical single-cell technologies to study microbial ecosystems
This paper is not about microplastics; it reviews advanced optical (flow cytometry, Raman spectroscopy) and electrical single-cell analysis technologies used to study microbial communities and ecology.
Tuning Cellular Perception in Pluripotent Stem Cells through Topography, Stiffness, and Patterning
Researchers reviewed how physical surface features like texture, stiffness, and micro-scale patterns influence how stem cells grow and specialize. They found that carefully engineered surface cues can guide stem cell development without chemical signals, which has implications for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. While not directly about microplastics, the study is relevant to understanding how micro-scale particles in the body might interact with cells at the physical level.
Microparticle Assembly Pathways on Lipid Membranes
Researchers studied how short-ranged adhesive forces between microparticles and model lipid membranes drive membrane-mediated particle assembly, using confocal microscopy to observe attachment, clustering, and tubule formation relevant to understanding microplastic interactions with biological membranes.
Dynamics of spontaneous wrapping of microparticles by floppy lipid membranes
Using colloidal particles and lipid vesicles with tunable adhesive forces, researchers measured the velocity and forces involved in membrane wrapping of micron-sized particles, finding that energy dissipation near the contact line is the main factor controlling wrapping speed. These dynamics are relevant to understanding how cells engulf nano- and microparticles including nanoplastics.
Photoinduced Force Microscopy as an Efficient Method Towards the Detection of Nanoplastics
Researchers demonstrated photoinduced force microscopy as an effective method for detecting and chemically characterizing individual nanoplastic particles, overcoming limitations of conventional techniques that lack either sufficient spatial resolution or spectroscopic capability at the nanoscale.
7. The Evolutionary Imprint of Physical Evolution in Modern Cells
This essay argues that modern cellular systems retain a deep structural imprint from prebiotic physical evolution, with membranes and lipid rafts remaining fundamentally physical structures governed by tension, curvature, and microdomain formation. The author proposes that when these physical cellular filters are disrupted -- as by nanoplastics, toxins, or mechanical deformation -- biochemical signaling compensates, revealing an evolutionary continuity between physical and chemical cellular organization.
Label-FreeQuantification of Nanoplastic–CellMembrane Interaction by Single Cell Deformation Plasmonic Imaging
Researchers developed a label-free quantitative method called Single Cell Deformation Plasmonic Imaging to study nanoplastic interactions with cell membranes, enabling precise measurement of how nanoplastic particles disrupt cellular functions at the membrane level.
The role of microplastics in microalgae cells aggregation: A study at the molecular scale using atomic force microscopy
Atomic force microscopy was used at the molecular scale to study how microplastics interact with microalgae cells and affect their aggregation, finding that plastic particles altered cell surface properties and promoted clumping. The results suggest that microplastics can disrupt the normal behavior of primary producers at the base of aquatic food chains.
Nanomechanical Atomic Force Microscopy to Probe Cellular Microplastics Uptake and Distribution
Researchers used atomic force microscopy in a specialized nanomechanical mode to visualize how human skin cells take up and distribute polystyrene microplastics. They were able to distinguish between particles attached to the cell surface and those internalized within the cell, detecting particles as small as 500 nanometers. The study demonstrates a powerful new technique for studying how plastic particles interact with human cells at the nanoscale.
3D nanofabricated soft microrobots with super-compliant picoforce springs as onboard sensors and actuators
Researchers developed tiny 3D-printed soft microrobots using an elastic, magnetic material that can sense forces as small as half a piconewton — roughly the weight of a single molecule — enabling the robots to grasp and manipulate individual biological cells with unprecedented precision for biomedical applications.
Engineering of Co-Surfactant-Free Bioactive Protein Nanosheets for the Stabilisation of Bioemulsions Enabling Adherent Cell Expansion
Researchers engineered co-surfactant-free bioactive protein nanosheets capable of stabilizing bioemulsions to support adherent cell expansion, overcoming the limitation that previous bioemulsion systems required reactive co-surfactants that hinder clinical translation. The designed protein nanosheets exhibited high interfacial shear moduli and elasticity, enabling cell adhesion to liquid substrates for scalable cell culture applications.
A Review of the Current State of Magnetic Force Microscopy to Unravel the Magnetic Properties of Nanomaterials Applied in Biological Systems and Future Directions for Quantum Technologies
This review covers magnetic force microscopy, a technique that can detect and map magnetic properties at the nanoscale in biological systems. Researchers highlight its applications in studying magnetic nanoparticles used in drug delivery, cell imaging, and biosensing. While primarily a methods review, the technology has potential relevance for characterizing magnetic micro- and nanoparticles, including some types of environmental contaminants.
Remodeling of lipid-foam prototissues by network-wide tension fluctuations induced by active particles
This study investigated how active synthetic cells can reshape assemblies of lipid-foam structures through tension fluctuations, exploring the mechanics of artificial tissue formation. No microplastics or environmental science content is present in this entry.