The equipment comprises Optical Tweezers, a nano force measurement device and a CellXtor. Optical Tweezers are able to hold nanoparticles with the use of laser beams. Their generated force fields, are able to exert a pressure on the particles, and placed in opposite directions, the two lasers trap and manipulate their target in between the fields. This allows, among other things, the application of strain or stress forces that can give exact information on the physical properties of a nanoparticle. The CellXtor can mark single cells or particles of interest and collect them, one or many at a time, to deposit them into a dish well for further use. One of the first projects to utilize the new technology will use the Optical tweezers to measure the elasticity of red blood cells.
This equipment was acquired through competitive funding from the National Secretariat of Science, Innovation and Technology of Panama. It will be available for users from any institution that want to conduct studies using this technology.
