Journal
OPTICS EXPRESS
Volume 16, Issue 14, Pages 10507-10517Publisher
OPTICAL SOC AMER
DOI: 10.1364/OE.16.010507
Keywords
-
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Optically guided neuron growth is a relatively new field where the exact mechanisms that initiate growth are not well understood. Both Gaussian light beams and optical line traps have been purported to initiate neuronal growth. Here we present a detailed study using optical line traps with symmetric and asymmetric intensity profiles which have been previously reported to bias the direction of neuronal growth. In contrast to these previous studies, we show similar levels of growth regardless of the direction of the intensity variation along the line trap. Furthermore, our experimental observations confirm previous suggestions that the filopodia produced from neuronal growth cones can be affected by laser light. We experimentally observe alignment of filopodia with the laser field and present a theoretical model describing the optical torques experienced by filopodia to explain this effect. (c) 2008 Optical Society of America.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available