Optical Tweezers in Life Science: Study Motor Proteins

Join us to learn how the Nobel prize-winning Optical Tweezers (OT) methodology has developed from proof-of-principle experiments into an established quantitative technique.

Join us for this live webinar and learn how the Nobel prize-winning Optical Tweezers (OT) methodology has developed from proof-of-principle experiments into an established quantitative technique, with applications ranging from (bio)physics to cell biology. The following topics will be covered:

  • NanoTracker 2: An overview, from single molecules to its combination with AFM
    Speaker: Dr Vitaliy Oliynyk, Senior Application Scientist, Bruker JPK BioAFM
  • Optical Tweezers in Life Science: Studying Motor Proteins
    Speaker: Dr Todd Fallesen, Francis Crick Institute, London
  • Live, hands-on Demo with NanoTracker 2
    JPK BioAFM Labs, Bruker, Berlin

Dr. Oliynyk will give an overview of applications for optical tweezers in scientific research. Using the NanoTracker 2, he will illustrate their use in single-molecule force-spectroscopy and live cell manipulations and measurements.

We are pleased to have Dr. Todd Fallesen, Francis Crick Institute, London, as a guest speaker to join us for this event. He will focus on applications of biophysical relevance and discuss how the quantitative insights obtained using optical tweezers and other microscopy techniques have advanced our understanding of bidirectional molecular motor proteins. He will elucidate how optical tweezers can be used to characterize in great detail the contribution of individual bidirectional motor proteins in ensemble force-generation.

This will be followed by a virtual, hands-on demo on the NanoTracker 2, live from the JPK BioAFM labs in Berlin, where you can follow a typical workflow, from sample and experiment preparation through to force-spectroscopy data collection and analysis.

After each section, you can have your questions answered live by the speakers.

Who should attend: Anyone with an interest in Optical Tweezers, beginners and experts alike, biologists, biophysicists, cell biologists, …

Learn how Optical Tweezers can provide new insights into your life science research!

Speaker

Dr. Todd Fallesen

Image Analyst at The Francis Crick Institute

Todd Fallesen is a physicist fascinated by the force generation and cooperativity of multiple cytoskeletal motor proteins acting on a single load.

He has used both magnetic and optical force spectroscopy techniques to investigate the force generation of kinesin-family motors on single microtubules in in vitro systems.

Todd studied physics and biology at St. Lawrence University before receiving a PhD at Wake Forest University. He did a post-doctoral fellowship under Thomas Surrey at The Francis Crick Institute, before working at Imperial College on light sheet microscopy.

Todd is currently at the Crick Advance Light Microscopy (Calm) Facility at the Francis Crick Institute.