title: Development of a dual joystick-controlled laser trapping and cutting system for optical micromanipulation of chromosomes inside living cells.
abstract: A multi-joystick robotic laser microscope system used to control two optical traps (tweezers) and one laser scissors has been developed for subcellular organelle manipulation. The use of joysticks has provided a "user-friendly" method for both trapping and cutting of organelles such as chromosomes in live cells. This innovative design has enabled the clean severing of chromosome arms using the laser scissors as well as the ability to easily hold and pull the severed arm using the laser tweezers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
authors.forename: Marcellinus S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Harsono
authors.forename: Qingyuan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Linda Z
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duquette
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Berns
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002875:Chromosomes; D004867:Equipment Design; D051379:Mice; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008938:Mitosis; D055620:Optical Phenomena; D052898:Optical Tweezers; D048328:Potoroidae; D012984:Software