Optical tweezers

Optical tweezers provide a sophisticated and non-invasive method for studying small particles, typically ranging from hundreds of nanometers to several micrometers in size. By using a light beam tightly focused through a high numerical aperture objective, the tweezers can effectively trap and manipulate these objects.

Our research primarily centers on investigating red blood cells' aggregation and disaggregation properties under different conditions. Key areas of focus also include the characterization of point and elliptical optical tweezers, as well as the analysis of elastic light scattering from trapped particles and cells.

Selected results

We utilize optical tweezers to study the induced adhesion of red blood cells (RBCs) in both plasma and dextran solutions, aiming at revealing and describing the main mechanisms of cellular interactions [1]. The aggregation of RBCs in these environments was also directly observed and analyzed through scanning electron microscopy.

Interaction energy of adhering RBC as a function of relative interaction area Si/S0 of conjugated RBC derived from the measurements in plasma and dextran mixture (top left). Colored SEM images of RBC in dextran (top right) and separated RBC (bottom left).

Using optical tweezers, we study the characteristics and bio-rheological properties of RBCs at the single-cell level. Our key findings include insights into the interplay between blood cells and the factors influencing their interaction dynamics in the presence of nanomaterials, as well as investigations into the effects of laser biomodulation on blood cell properties.

Layout of the tweezers beam and trapped RBCs (left). The energy of mutual RBC interaction influenced by nanoparticles (NPs) (middle). The solid line fits the energy dependence obtained for RBCs in plasma (control sample) based on the cross-bridges model.
Coloured SEM images presenting a diversity of observed NP localizations on the RBC surface: (a) normal conditions; RBC incubated with (b) TiO2 RODI, (c) TiO2 Hombitan AN, (d) TiO2 15 nm, (e) ZnO NPs, (f) NDs, and (g) polymeric NPs; (h) echinocyte form of

Selected publications

1. T. Avsievich, A. Popov, A. Bykov, I. Meglinski, “Mutual interaction of red blood cells assessed by optical tweezers and scanning electron microscopy imaging”, Optics Letters, 43 (16), 3921-3924 (2018). DOI: 10.1364/OL.43.003921.

2. T. Avsievich, A. Popov, A. Bykov, I. Meglinski, “Mutual interaction of red blood cells influenced by nanoparticles”, Scientific Reports, 9 (1), 5147 (2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41643-x

3. T. Avsievich, R. Zhu, A.P. Popov, A. Yatskovskiy, A.A. Popov, G. Tikhonowsky, A. Pastukhov, S. Klimentov, A. Bykov, A. Kabashin, I. Meglinski, “Impact of plasmonic nanoparticles on poikilocytosis and microrheological properties of erythrocytes”, Pharmaceutics, 15, 1046 (2023). DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15041046

4. R. Zhu, T. Avsievich, A. Popov, A. Bykov, I. Meglinski, “In vivo nano-biosensing element of red blood cell-mediated delivery”, Biosensors and Bioelectronics 175, 112845 (2021).DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2020.112845

5. T. Avsievich, R. Zhu, A. Popov, A. Bykov, I. Meglinski, “The advancement of blood cell research by optical tweezers”, Reviews in Physics, 5, 100043 (2020).DOI: 10.1016/j.revip.2020.100043

6. K. Lee, M. Kinnunen, M. Khokhlova, E. Lyubin, A. Priezzhev, I. Meglinski, and A. Fedyanin, “Optical tweezers study of red blood cell aggregation and disaggregation in plasma and protein solutions”, Journal of Biomedical Optics, 21(3), 35001 (2016).DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.21.3.035001

7. M. Kinnunen, A. Bykov, J. Tuorila, T. Haapalainen, A. Karmenyan, V. Tuchin, “Optical clearing at a cellular level”, Jоurnal of Biomedical Optics, 19(7), 071409 (2014). DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.19.7.071409

8. M. Kinnunen, A. Kauppila, A. Karmenyan, and R. Myllylä, “Effect of the size and shape of a red blood cell on elastic light scattering properties at the single-cell level”, Biomedical Optics Express 2(7), 1803-1814 (2011). DOI: 10.1364/BOE.2.001803

Books

T. Avsievich, R. Zhu, A. Popov, A. Bykov, I. Meglinski, (2021). “Blood–nanomaterials interactions”. In “Nanotechnology for Hematology, Blood Transfusion, and Artificial Blood”, A. Denizli., T. Nguyen, R. Mariappan, M. Feroz Alam, & K. Khaliqur Rahman (Eds.), 1st ed, pp. 1-40, Elsevier Science Publishing Co. Inc. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-823971-1.00002-7.