Micromanipulators for cells and DNA molecules possible

May 5, 2004 | Source: KurzweilAI

Boston College researchers have demonstrated the fabrication of microscopic polymeric structures on top of a human hair, using a technique called multiphoton-absorption photopolymerization (MAP), in which a polymer can be deposited at the focal point of a laser beam.

Scanning of the laser beam in a desired pattern then allows for the formation of intricate, three-dimensional patterns. This technique makes it possible to create features that are 1000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.

The new results show for the first time that MAP can be used to fabricate structures nondestructively on biomaterials, and point the way towards applications of MAP in the creation of miniature biodevices, which could include micromanipulators for cells, individual protein or DNA molecules, and fiber optics.

Boston College news release