Microrheology Measurements
Microrheology Measurements - Related Videos
11:11
Longitudinal Measurement of Extracellular Matrix Rigidity in 3D Tumor Models Using Particle-tracking Microrheology
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Cited by 20 •
2014
Particle-tracking microrheology can be used to non-destructively quantify and spatially map changes in extracellular matrix mechanical properties in 3D tumor models.
09:47
AFM and Microrheology in the Zebrafish Embryo Yolk Cell
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Cited by 3 •
2017
The lack of tools to measure material properties and tensional parameters in vivo prevents validating their roles during development. We employed atomic force microscopy (AFM) and nanoparticle-tracking to quantify mechanical features on the intact zebrafish embryo yolk cell during epiboly. These methods are reliable and widely applicable avoiding intrusive interventions.
12:58
In Situ Mapping of the Mechanical Properties of Biofilms by Particle-tracking Microrheology
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Cited by 11 •
2015
Particle-tracking microrheology investigates the viscoelasticity of materials. Here, the technique is used to determine the viscoelasticity, creep compliance and effective crosslinking roles of different matrix components of a bacterial biofilm. The matrix consists of polymeric substances secreted by the bacteria and its components determine biofilm structure and mechanical properties.
11:38
Combining Microfluidics and Microrheology to Determine Rheological Properties of Soft Matter during Repeated Phase Transitions
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Cited by 3 •
2018
We demonstrate the fabrication and use of a microfluidic device that enables multiple particle tracking microrheology measurements to study the rheological effects of repeated phase transitions on soft matter.
07:22
Standardized Method for Measuring Collection Efficiency from Wipe-sampling of Trace Explosives
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Cited by 7 •
2017
Optimized sampling protocols and the development of new wipe materials can be facilitated by standardized measurements of collection efficiency from wipe-sampling. Our approach for sampling trace explosives uses an automated device to control speed, force, and distance during wipe-sampling followed by extraction of collected explosives.
FAQs
Thermal fluctuations reveal how tracer particles move without deliberately forcing the material, whereas externally applied forces test how the surrounding material responds to a controlled disturbance. Comparing these motion patterns or responses helps infer local stiffness, viscosity, and relaxation behavior. This distinction allows investigators to examine material mechanics under spontaneous conditions or during an imposed mechanical challenge.
These properties describe different aspects of viscoelastic behavior. Stiffness indicates resistance to deformation, viscosity describes resistance to flow, and relaxation captures how the material changes after deformation or over time. Considering them together provides a more complete mechanical profile, which is important when developmental materials must both maintain shape and permit cell movement or tissue remodeling.
Measurements at microscopic length scales can distinguish mechanical conditions in local regions rather than assigning one value to an entire sample. That local perspective is useful because cytoplasm, extracellular matrices, and developing tissues may change mechanically in ways that influence nearby cells differently. Mapping these variations can connect local material behavior with migration, shape formation, and tissue organization.
By assessing mechanical properties in cytoplasm, extracellular matrices, or developing tissues at different stages or locations, investigators can identify changes in stiffness, viscosity, and relaxation. Relating those changes to cell migration, shape formation, and tissue organization helps test how physical forces regulate developmental behavior. The resulting measurements can also improve models that describe morphogenesis and tissue engineering.
A typical workflow places tracer particles within the material of interest, tracks their motion, and analyzes either their thermal fluctuations or their response to an externally applied force. The measured motion is then interpreted to estimate local stiffness, viscosity, and relaxation. Applying this workflow to cytoplasm, extracellular matrix, or tissue samples supports location-specific mechanical analysis.
This approach is useful when the research question concerns mechanics near individual cells or within specific tissue regions. Local measurements can help examine how mechanical conditions relate to cell migration, changing cell shape, or tissue organization during development. They therefore complement broader tissue-level assessments by linking small-scale material behavior to larger morphogenetic outcomes.